Fernando Alonso will sit out next weekend's season opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
McLaren announced the news on Tuesday, despite insisting the Spaniard has been checked by doctors in the wake of his Barcelona testing crash and four days in hospital.
The doctors found Alonso "asymptomatic of any medical issue," McLaren said in a media statement, "they see no evidence whatsoever of any injury; and that they therefore describe him as entirely healthy from neurological and cardiac perspectives alike".
But, as swirling controversy and speculation surrounding the circumstances of the mysterious crash and Alonso's loss of consciousness and memory continues, the 33-year-old will sit out Melbourne.
The newly Honda-powered team said doctors want Alonso to avoid the possibility of a second concussion, or so-called second impact syndrome, "as is normal medical procedure when treating athletes after concussions".
McLaren said: "In order to limit those environmental risk factors, specifically, his doctors have advised that he should not compete in the imminent Australian grand prix meeting".
"Fernando has understood and accepted that advice, and the two McLaren-Honda cars will therefore be driven in Australia by Fernando's teammate Jenson Button and the team's test and reserve driver Kevin Magnussen," the team announced.
McLaren added that Alonso, already feeling "fit and well", has returned to physical training and is eyeing a return to the MP4-30 in Malaysia later this month.
His "doctors are supportive of that ambition," the team said, "satisfied as they are that he sustained no damage whatsoever during his testing accident".
Statement issued by McLaren:
Having performed an exhaustive series of tests and scans – some of them as recently as yesterday evening – McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso’s doctors have informed him that they find him asymptomatic of any medical issue; that they see no evidence whatsoever of any injury; and that they therefore describe him as entirely healthy from neurological and cardiac perspectives alike.
However, Fernando’s doctors have recommended to him that, following the concussion he sustained in a testing accident at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 22 February, for the time being he should seek to limit as far as is possible any environmental risk factors that could potentially result in his sustaining another concussion so soon after his previous one, so as to minimise the chances of second impact syndrome, as is normal medical procedure when treating athletes after concussions.
In order to limit those environmental risk factors, specifically, his doctors have advised that he should not compete in the imminent Australian Grand Prix meeting, which will take place on 13, 14 and 15 March.
Fernando has understood and accepted that advice, and the two McLaren-Honda cars will therefore be driven in Australia by Fernando’s team-mate Jenson Button and the team’s test and reserve driver Kevin Magnussen.
Fernando’s doctors acknowledge that he feels fit and well, and that he regards himself as ready to race, and, that being the case, they are comfortable with the fact that he has already recommenced physical training, with a view to preparing for a return to the cockpit of his McLaren-Honda car for the Malaysian Grand Prix meeting on 27, 28 and 29 March. Indeed, his doctors are supportive of that ambition, satisfied as they are that he sustained no damage whatsoever during his testing accident on 22 February.
All at McLaren-Honda fully support Fernando’s decision in respect of his doctors’ advice.
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