Fernando Alonso is to miss the opening round of the 2015 Formula One World Championship. The new McLaren Honda driver will miss the first race in Melbourne on medical grounds after his crash in the second Barcelona test.
The 33 year old will be replaced by Kevin Magnussen the driver who had his seat taken by the double world champion for this season. When asked after driving the car on Saturday the Dane stated that he wasn't ready to drive in Australia even if Alonso wasn't fit.
Alonso was concussed after a mysterious crash at Turn 3 on the Circuit de Catalunya in February. In an official statement McLaren said that they wanted to avoid "any environmental risk factors".
Being a street circuit the Albert Park Circuit is surrounded by concrete barriers and a high speed crash would give Alonso a dangerous second concussion so close to the first.
McLaren who have had a woeful winter will be gutted at the Los of their star driver before the season has even stared, despite many tipping them for a double DNF in Melbourne Although it provides Magnussen with the perfect opportunity to show that McLaren were wrong to drop him after 2014.
The Australian GP Free Practice One begin on Friday 13th March 2015