Image courtesy of McLaren.
The McLaren Formula 1 team have announced that Kevin Magnussen will replace Fernando Alonso for the opening round of the 2015 season, after doctors advised the Spaniard to sit out the event.
Magnussen, who raced for the British team in 2014, was demoted to the role of reserve driver after the signing of Alonso, and will now line up alongside team mate Jenson Button at the Australian Grand Prix.
The news comes after Alonso suffered a crash in testing that left him with a concussion, which appears to have played a part in the decision to withdraw from the season opener.
“Fernando’s doctors have recommended to him that, following the concussion he sustained in a testing accident on February 22nd, 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”, read the official statement.
“[This is] 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.”
The full statement can be found here.
