The Spaniard hit a wall in Catalonia before he was airlifted to hospital Photo: REX
Asked whether Alonso would conduct a track test before Malaysia, a McLaren spokesman confirmed to Telegraph Sport the Spaniard’s simulator programme but said the rest of his preparation was confidential.
It is understood that Alonso, 33, also plans to undertake the FIA’s medical test which he must pass to be declared fit to race in Kuala Lumpur. The test is known as the ‘FIA impact test’, and measures a driver’s ability to perform a number of physical and mental exercises by using a computer programme. It lasts around 45 minutes and to pass Alonso will have to match – or come very close to – a personal benchmark set on several occasions in the past.
This test, usually conducted once every one or two years, is normally done at the circuit on the Thursday before a race. In this case, that will be March 26 in Kuala Lumpur. However, given there would be little point in Alonso travelling to Malaysia unless he had already been passed fit to race, it is thought it will be done before then, somewhere in Europe.
Alonso tracked the progress of team-mate Jenson Button at the weekend
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Alonso is said to be concerned by the unexplained nature of the crash, and his subsequent memory loss, but he was in contact with the team in Australia over the weekend from his home in Dubai.