Alpine F1 team expecting the two-time champion to be "fully operational to undertake preparation for the season" after a period of rest after successful surgery on fractured upper jaw; Alonso was involved in a collision with a car, which was turning into a supermarket car park
Saturday 13 February 2021 17:15, UK
Fernando Alonso has undergone successful corrective surgery on a fractured jaw sustained in a road accident while cycling in Switzerland on Thursday.
In an updated statement issued on Friday morning on their driver's condition, the Alpine F1 team said medics had discovered a fracture in the 39-year-old's upper jaw which was subsequently operated on.
"The attending medical team are satisfied with his progress," read the statement.
"Fernando will remain under observation in hospital for a further 48 hours."
Alonso was involved in a collision with a car while cycling on roads in Lugano.
In his first message since the accident, Alonso posted on Twitter:
Alpine say that "after a few days of complete rest" Alonso will be able to "progressively resume training", with the 39-year-old expected to be "fully operational to undertake preparation for the season".
According to the Lugano police report's initial reconstruction of events, a 42-year-old Swiss motorist "while making a left turn manoeuvre to enter a supermarket parking lot" collided with "a 39-year-old Spanish citizen, who was riding his bicycle [and] he was passing the column of stationary vehicles in the opposite direction on the right.
"The collision occurred against the right side of the car."
The report adds that Alonso was first given treatment on the scene by the Green Cross of Lugano, who then transported him by ambulance to hospital.
The Spaniard is returning to Formula 1 after a two-season absence this year.
Pre-season testing begins in Bahrain on March 12, with the 2021 season's opening race following at the same venue on March 28.
In his time away from F1, Alonso won the World Endurance Championship with Toyota in 2019, while he has also competed in the Indy 500 and Dakar Rally.
Alpine is the new name for the Renault team, with the Enstone outfit undergoing a rebrand ahead of the 2021 season.
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.
