Alonso To Miss Oz GP After Crash In Testing

McLaren's Fernando Alonso will miss the Australian Grand Prix following his crash during the second pre-season test in Barcelona.

Kevin Magnussen, who Alonso has replaced for the 2015 season, will partner Jenson Button in Melbourne.

Alonso has been ruled out on medical advice, but McLaren remain confident that the two-time world champion will return for the Malaysia GP at the end of March.

The team confirmed doctors had advised Alonso not to drive in the season-opening race "to minimise the chances of second impact syndrome, as is normal medical procedure when treating athletes after concussions".

However, according to McLaren, Alonso's doctors have detected "no evidence whatsoever of any injury" and permitted the 33-year-old to resume training.

Alonso was rendered unconscious during his accident at the Circuit de Catalunya on 22 February when he lost control of his MP4-30 car and struck the track wall.

McLaren later attributed the accident to an unpredictable gust of wind.

Magnussen drove the MP4-30 for the first time when he deputised for Alonso on Day Three of the final pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalyuna. Speaking on Saturday after 39 laps in the car, the Dane admitted it would be tough to step in for Melbourne.

"It would be difficult because I don’t really have my own team and set of engineers to talk to all winter and have kind of been on the sideline a little bit," Magnussen explained.

"I've obviously followed everything that was going on, but it is different when you have your own team and can go there every day and work with them. It would be difficult, but if I have to I will be happy to do it."

The Australian event will be the first race weekend that Alonso has not competed in since 2002, when he was a test driver for Renault.