In a brief statement, McLaren has confirmed that Fernando Alonso will "sit out" this weeks final pre-season test.

The Spaniard, who finally left hospital today, having spent the last three nights there following Sunday's accident, remains the subject of intense speculation.

Whilst on Sunday, and again on Monday, the Woking outfit insisted that he was uninjured in the accident, which it is claimed was due to gusty winds, many wonder why therefore it was felt necessary to keep him in hospital for so long.

In a statement which poses more questions than it answers, the team said:

"Following his testing accident at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last Sunday, we are pleased to confirm that Fernando Alonso has now left hospital. He has returned to his family’s home in Spain for further rest and recuperation.

As a result, he will sit out this week’s final winter test, at which he was due to share driving duties with Jenson Button. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren-Honda’s test and reserve driver (Kevin Magnussen), will replace him.

Jenson will be testing the McLaren-Honda car tomorrow (February 26), and the team will confirm the full day-to-day running order in due course."

Curiouser and curiouser.

Note: An email request for 'off the record' info from a usually reliable source within the team was met with an unusually brief, and negative, response. Editor Balfe surmising that the reply was restricted to just one brief line of text because if there had been more (lines) he might have attempted to read between them.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by SideGlance, 26/02/2015 12:46

"Alonso left hospital, staying at mom & dad's house in spain, how will he get rest there ???? ;)

Mom's cooking works wonders !!!"

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2. Posted by SideGlance, 26/02/2015 8:30

"Remember, that gray squishy thing between ears if fairly sensitive, especially to a 30g splat against a very unmoving thing. So apparently Alonso likes his gray squishy thing, and would like for it to work as well as possible, and his manager who I ASSume cares for him & wants his gray squishy thing to work at least well enuf to write checks for his salary!! ;)

I wish the best for Alonso, and he should take all the time he needs, even if he misses some races !!

McLaren can get by w/o Alonso I am sure - Honda has quite a ways to go I suspect, just needs a lots of track time to de-bug that engine !! Jensen is a great driver and can work on setup.

**** Remember Michael Schumacher - just a simple ski accident! ****"

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3. Posted by Tweek, 26/02/2015 2:38

"Sounds like someone doesn't like his new car. "F*** you guys I'm going home!""

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4. Posted by Yeyox02, 25/02/2015 23:54

"After a slight accident Alonso spent three nights in hospital, he will sit out the final winter test because he is in home for "further rest and recuperation"; recuperation from what? From a cardiac problem due to an electric shock? "

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5. Posted by johnoneill2006, 25/02/2015 23:23

"In all the years that I have watched F1, I have learnt two things. Firstly - if it is raining, McLaren will choose slicks because a complicated mathematical algorithm being run at the factory says they should, rather than sticking your head out from under the pit wall canopy to check the weather. Secondly - their press releases can never be trusted because of the level of spin that they historically put on them (they are a classic example of the joke about a car retiring due to an "electrical problem", when a piston has left the engine and cut through the wiring loom). I just don't trust a word that McLaren's press department say on any subject."

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6. Posted by Joop deBruin, 25/02/2015 19:12

"This is standard procedure in the USA. According to my friend who lives in Spain, is not unusual there either. I'm no Alonzo fan, nor a current McLaren fan, so just stating the facts."

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7. Posted by F One, 25/02/2015 18:34

"No such thing as a simple concussion so no point in Alonso being rushed back."

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8. Posted by CL, 25/02/2015 14:46

"I doubt it's more sinister than he wrenched his neck muscles with the side impact and they want him to be 100% for the first race. No point taking any chances...a fit Alonso at the race is more valuable than an ok one in testing and potentially sore one at the race. I really doubt McLaren would gain anything at all by mis-stating or understating the truth, it's so easy to be found out and exposed for not very much gain at all...and the guys medical records are his own, nothing to do with any of us so why say more?"

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9. Posted by Canuck, 25/02/2015 14:38

"In looking at he car against the wall with so little damage one really has to wonder what really went wrong. I do not think we will ever know the truth. When you compare the impact Kimi had last year at the British GP and walked away, one has to wonder what really failed. Truly "Curiouser and curiouser""

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Official: Alonso to miss final test

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