After crash, Alonso wakes up ‘thinking it’s 1995’

BARCELONA — Fernando Alonso woke up from his testing accident unaware he was a Formula One driver, having forgotten the past 20 years of his life, said reports in his native Spain.

Alonso will miss the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 15 on doctors’ orders after suffering a concussion.

The 33-year-old was briefly unconscious after the 161kmh crash at the Circuit de Catalunya and woke up in hospital thinking it was 1995, said Spanish daily El Pais.

Asked who he was, what his job was and what he hoped to do with his life, Alonso reportedly replied: “I’m Fernando, I drive go-karts and I want to be a Formula One driver.”

He apparently could not remember making his F1 debut with Minardi in 2001 or either of his world championships in 2005 and 2006.

Back in 1995, Alonso was 13 years old and at school in his home town, Oviedo, in northern Spain. His father, Jose Luis, had built a kart for him when he was only three. Alonso has since won two world championships with Renault, rejoining McLaren at the start of this season from Ferrari.

Alonso spent three nights in hospital after his accident on Feb 22— when his car crashed into a wall and he suffered two blows to his head — before going home to his family. He posted a video on YouTube saying he was “completely fine” and had been eager to race in Melbourne, but had gone with medical advice.

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis admitted last week that Alonso is suffering from retrograde amnesia, which he said is “not uncommon” in cases like this.

McLaren declined to comment further on the reports, saying: “The day after the accident, we issued a press release, the chief purpose of which was to urgently correct a series of erroneous media reports to the effect that Fernando’s accident had been caused by a variety of car-related issues,” said its spokesman.

“With regard to answering ongoing questions about Fernando’s medical situation, McLaren will not and indeed should not take the lead, since his medical care is being handled by the people best equipped for that task, namely his doctors. So all we can say is he is making good progress and we hope and expect he will soon be back to his brilliant best.

“We understand the media’s thirst for more information but, as I say, the remaining unanswered questions will be answered by doctors, not by Formula One personnel.” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH