Unfit Alonso to miss Bahrain
MANAMA: Fernando Alonso will not take part in this weekend’s Grand Prix in Bahrain for medical reasons following his dramatic, death-defying crash at the Australian GP.
“Following a decision by the FIA doctors, Fernando Alonso will not be participating in this weekend’s 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix,” Alonso’s McLaren team said in a statement.
Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, the reigning GP2 champion, will make his Formula 1 debut in place of Alonso. FIA said that “following an examination undertaken this morning at the Bahrain International Circuit Medical Centre, it has been decided that McLaren Honda F1 Team driver Fernando Alonso should not take part in this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix”.
“Two sets of chest CT scans were compared and it was decided that there was insufficient resolution of the signs to allow him to compete on safety grounds,” FIA said. “A repeat chest scan has been requested before the Chinese Grand Prix (on April 17) and the results will be considered before allowing him to race there.”
McLaren added: “Following any on-track incident, we will always abide by the FIA doctors’ decisions.”
Alonso said he had battled until the last moment in a bid to be fit for Sunday’s race. “I tried until the last minute to race in Bahrain after the accident in Australia, (they have) have been hard days logically after such an impact, but until the last second I try to race to help the team after the incredible work they have done this week,” he said on his Instagram account.