Fernando Alonso will miss next week’s season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix on doctors’ advice after a heavy crash in testing, the Spaniard’s McLaren team said yesterday.

“Fernando has understood and accepted that advice, and the two McLaren-Honda cars will therefore be driven in Australia by Fernando’s team-mate Jenson Button and the team’s test and reserve driver Kevin Magnussen,” they said in a statement.

Australia would have marked a new start for Alonso at McLaren, who are also embarking on a new engine partnership with Honda, after five years at Ferrari.

However, the Spaniard spent three nights in hospital last week after losing control and hitting the wall in testing in Barcelona on February 22.

McLaren said the 33-year-old had undergone more tests on Monday evening and been given the all-clear.

“However, Fernando’s doctors have recommended to him that... for the time being he should seek to limit as far as is possible any environmental risk factors that could potentially result in his sustaining another concussion,” they added.

“In order to limit those environmental risk factors, specifically, his doctors have advised that he should not compete in the imminent Australian Grand Prix meeting.”

First practice for the March 15 race in Melbourne starts on Friday, March 13.

Alonso has not missed a race since the 2005 US Grand Prix, which was boycotted for safety reasons by drivers whose cars were equipped with Michelin tyres after problems emerged in practice.