Ex-F1 champion Alonso leaves hospital after cycling crash

Former Formula One champion Fernando Alonso has left hospital after having surgery on a jaw fracture suffered in a road accident while cycling last week, his team, Alpine, announced on Monday.

According to newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport and the BBC, veteran racer Alonso was hit by a car near his home on Thursday in Lugano in Switzerland, close to the Italian border.

“After a period of 48 hours observation at hospital in Switzerland, Fernando Alonso has now been discharged to continue his recovery at home,” said the F1 outfit, re-branded from Renault.

“He will now have a short period of complete rest before progressively resuming training to undertake preparation for the start of the season.

“As always, thank you for your best wishes for Fernando’s recovery,” they added.

Alonso, who won the F1 championship with Renault in 2005 and 2006, is set to make his return to motorsport’s elite level at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28. He last raced in the sport three years ago.

Testing for the new season is taking place in Bahrain between March 12-14, and Alpine said the 39-year-old was expected to take part.

Alonso is set to be the second-oldest member of the F1 paddock, behind Alfa-Romeo’s 41-year-old Finnish driver Kimi Raikonnen.

Alonso completed a number of tests in the closing months of 2020 to prepare for his F1 comeback, making his full official testing return at the end-of-season session in Abu Dhabi in December.