McLaren’s Fernando Alonso assured his fans that he was fine yesterday in his first public comments since crashing heavily in Formula One testing last weekend.

“As you can see, I am completely fine,” the Spaniard, recovering at his home, said in a video message posted on YouTube.

“I would like to be at the test this week in Barcelona but the doctors’ recommendations are to wait a little bit, a couple of days,” added the double world champion and former Ferrari driver.

“I will rest this weekend and keep you updated with progress.”

Alonso spent three nights in hospital after the crash before being released on Wednesday. Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen has replaced him for the final pre-season test at the Circuit de Catalunya.

McLaren, who have had a difficult pre-season with new engine partners Honda, blamed gusting winds for the accident but have not given exact details about the G-forces the driver sustained or how fast he was going.

The season starts in Australia on March 15, with McLaren group head Ron Dennis telling reporters that he saw no reason why Alonso would not sail through the necessary fitness tests before then.

“But it’s not for me to determine. It’s not for me to say yes or no,” added the Briton in remarks that left some uncertainty.