Fernando Alonso Ruled out of 2015 Australian Grand Prix by McLaren

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso has been ruled out of competing in this month's Australian Grand Prix after the Spaniard received medical advice from the manufacturer. 

The news was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon after McLaren's official Twitter announced Alonso had been advised against competing in Melbourne on March 13, 14 and 15, despite showing no symptoms of illness:

However, a statement released on McLaren's official website went on to detail that following the concussion suffered during pre-season testing in Catalunya, the risk has been deemed too great:

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Fernando’s doctors have recommended to him that, following the concussion he sustained in a testing accident at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 22^nd, 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.

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Alonso was airlifted to hospital on February 22 after crashing in Barcelona, but he fortunately escaped any serious injury after managing just 117 total laps in pre-season testing, per the official Formula 1 website.

Kevin Magnussen will stand in for Alonso at the Australian Grand Prix after driving the MP4-30 for the first time in Catalunya. Per Sky Sports, Magnussen spoke of the difficulty that comes with such a late change:

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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. 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.

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The loss places an even greater responsibility on team-mate Jenson Button to perform in the 2015 season opener and delays Alonso's second debut for McLaren until the Malaysian Grand Prix (March 29) at the earliest.

It's a big blow for McLaren to suffer so close to the start of the campaign but a necessary precaution given that any potential long-term damage to their 2015 season would be severely worse.

Magnussen only managed 39 laps across the 12 days of pre-season testing, the fewest recorded by any of the 22 drivers competing.

McLaren were hopeful the new partnership alongside Honda would give their hopes a boost, but Alonso's absence could mean the 2015 calendar gets off to a disappointing start.