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UPDATE: Alonso suffered fractured jaw, remains in hospital
Fernando Alonso suffered a fractured jaw in his cycling accident in Switzerland but has already had a successful operation and is expected to be fully fit for the Formula 1 season.
The Spaniard suffered the road accident while out training near Lugano, and was taken to hospital on Thursday evening where he remained overnight under observation. Alpine says Alonso was diagnosed with a fractured jaw and has undergone surgery, but the team does not expect the incident to have a major impact on his preparations for the opening F1 race in Bahrain on March 28.
“Following his cycling accident yesterday Fernando Alonso was kept under observation in hospital in Switzerland,” the team statement read. “Medics discovered a fracture in his upper jaw and conducted a successful corrective operation. The attending medical team are satisfied with his progress.
“Fernando will remain under observation in hospital for a further 48 hours.
“Looking forward, after a few days of complete rest, he will be able to progressively resume training. We expect him be fully operational to undertake preparation for the season.”
A police statement of the incident also revealed that Alonso collided with a car as it turned into a supermarket in the center of Lugano, with Ticino’s Cantonal Police helping with his treatment before he was taken to hospital.
“The Cantonal Police report that yesterday just before 2 p.m. in Viganello, a 42-year-old Swiss motorist from the Lugano area was driving in via La Santa in the direction of Pregassona.
“According to an initial reconstruction and for reasons that the police investigation will have to establish, while making a left-turn maneuver to enter a supermarket parking lot, there was a collision with a 39-year-old Spanish citizen, who was riding his bicycle and was passing the line of stationary vehicles in the opposite direction on the right.
“The collision occurred against the right side of the car. Agents of the Cantonal Police worked at the scene and in support of the police of the city of Lugano as well as the rescuers of the Green Cross of Lugano who, after having given the first care to the cyclist, transported him by ambulance to the hospital. The 39-year-old suffered a fractured jaw.”
Alonso is returning to F1 after two years out, and his first opportunity to drive the 2021 Alpine cones at the only pre-season test that also takes place in Bahrain from March 12-14.
Chris Medland
While studying Sports Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, Chris managed to talk his way into working at the British Grand Prix in 2008 and was retained for three years before joining ESPN F1 as Assistant Editor. After three further years at ESPN, a spell as F1 Editor at Crash Media Group was followed by the major task of launching F1i.com’s English-language website and running it as Editor. Present at every race since the start of 2014, he has continued building his freelance portfolio, working with international titles. As well as writing for RACER, his broadcast work includes television appearances on F1 TV and as a presenter and reporter on North America's live radio coverage on SiriusXM.
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