Alonso Given All Clear After Crash

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Fernando Alonso has been given the all-clear by doctors after being involved in a frightening crash at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. The McLaren driver’s car flipped twice and crumbled to pieces before hitting a barrier at turn three of the Albert Park circuit on Sunday.

“I’m happy to be here, it was quite a scary crash,” Alonso told Network Ten. “Lucky to be here,” the Spaniard concluded.

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso of Spain emerges from the wreck of his car after he collided with Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez of Mexico during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso of Spain emerges from the wreck of his car after he collided with Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez of Mexico during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. Photograph: Theo Karanikos/AP

Alonso clipped the rear of Esteban Gutierrez of Haas Racing at full speed while trying to pass Gutierrez around the outside on lap 17 of 57. The Spaniard somehow managed to walk away from the mangled wreckage and hoards of debris unharmed. Both he and Gutierrez were taken to the medical centre for assessment. The team later confirmed via Twitter he had been “formally okayed by the doctors”.

“I’m sure his marbles are rattled a little bit,” McLaren chief Ron Dennis told Sky Sports. Stewards will investigate the incident after the race. The accident triggered a red flag, bringing proceedings to a temporary halt before resuming at 4:55pm (AEDT).

Alonso missed the 2015 Australian Grand Prix following a crash during testing in Spain. He joined Gutierrez, Daniil Kvyat (Red Bull), Rio Haryanto (Manor) and Kimi Raikkonen in retiring from the season-opening.

Sunday’s spectacular smash happened at the same corner former driver, now commentator Martin Brundle flipped his Jordan-Peugeot on lap one of the first F1 race at Albert Park in 1996.

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Mr and Mrs Button Separate

Formula One star Jenson Button has split from his model wife Jessica Michibata after just one year of marriage.

The pair, who tied the knot in Hawaii in December last year, are said to have parted on friendly terms.

A spokesman for Button said: "Jenson and Jessica have decided to go their separate ways and it is very amicable. There is no one else involved."

Last New Year's Eve the former F1 world champion, from Frome, Somerset, and the Japanese-Argentine model confirmed their marriage on Twitter, writing: "Happy New Year from Mr & Mrs Button! We're excited to see in the New year with family and loved ones, we hope you're too!"

After meeting in 2008, the couple's relationship experienced ups and downs and they split for a short time in 2010 before getting back together.

Button, 35, and his wife, 31, hit the headlines in August this year when they were burgled in their sleep while on holiday in the south of France.

The McLaren driver was staying with friends in a St Tropez villa when thieves broke into the property, making off with valuables worth around £300,000, including Jessica's engagement ring.

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Magussen to Leave McLaren

Reserve driver Kevin Magnussen will leave McLaren at the end of the 2015 season after two years with the team.

New GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne is expected to take on the role of reserve to Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso for 2016.

Speaking on Twitter, Magnussen said: "I want to say thank you to my friends at @McLarenF1. There are a lot of great people there. #GoodLuckGuys

In an interview with motorsport.com, Magnussen confirmed he received the news of his exit on his birthday.

"When the date of McLaren's option on me passed, I was kind of waiting to hear from them," he said

"I didn't hear anything for a few days, and then, after about a week, when I saw an email from Ron's [Dennis, McLaren chairman] personal assistant Justine [Bowen] in my inbox, I had an idea of what it might be.

"It was a short paragraph explaining that there would be nothing for me in the future. It arrived on my birthday, actually."

In a statement, Dennis said: "Kevin has always done a very impressive and professional job for McLaren in the five years since he joined our Young Driver Programme in 2010.

"In 2014 he raced very well alongside Jenson, who is a hugely experienced and very quick World Champion. Kevin's Grand Prix debut in Melbourne last year was rewarded with a podium that day that he, and we, can be justifiably proud of."

Button gave an interview to Danish newspaper BT earlier this week, in which he stated his belief that Magnussen could be a success in Formula 1.

He said: "The Kevin I saw at the start of 2014 was a very different guy from the one I saw towards the end of our campaign together.

"He learned so much over the 12 months we spent working together, and he often pushed me to my limits, and even over my limits on many occasions.

"I don't know whether or not he's got a chance of bagging any of the remaining vacant Formula 1 seats, but he's clearly the best driver available, and I'd therefore very much recommend him to any team that has a vacancy.

"He's good enough not only to race in Formula 1, but also to help a team succeed in Formula 1."

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McLaren Wary About Spa

McClaren and Honda have warned against expecting any big performance jumps from them at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, with more grid penalties expected as they prepare to introduce a revised engine.

On the back of a morale-boosting two-car points finish in Hungary, Honda have been using the summer break to work on a new specification power unit and have placed particular emphasis on improving the internal combustion engine (ICE) via the spending of an as yet unspecified number of development 'tokens'.

Yasuhisa Arai, the Japanese manufacturer's motorsport chief, says F1's return to action at Spa will therefore be a key test of their work, but he is still expecting a challenging weekend.

"As we planned, Honda has updated our combustion characteristics to further improve our power units for Spa and the second half of the season," Arai said.

"This weekend's free practices will be important to test the pairing of the power units to the cars. The Belgian race, however, will surely be a difficult one for the team and drivers, with expected grid penalties and a long and unforgiving power circuit."

Having already exceeded their penalty-free allocation of engines for the season - which was retrospectively increased to five last month - McLaren's drivers will pick up further grid demotions any time they run fresh ICEs between now and the end of the season.

Team boss Eric Boullier insists the Woking outfit are "refreshed and determined to continue improving our form", but is also aware that high-speed Spa and Monza, the next two tracks on the calendar, are not likely to suit the MP4-30.

"Spa is a truly spectacular circuit - arguably the best on the calendar for many - but, given the unique power and downforce package required, the track won't play to our strengths," the Frenchman said.

"Therefore, of course, we must be measured in our optimism, and we will need to wait for Singapore and beyond before we can see the fruits of our labours reflected on track."

With 70 per cent of the undulating Spa circuit spent at full throttle, Fernando Alonso is expecting a "tricky" few days, but has stressed the importance of the race weekend to McLaren.

"The next few races will be important for us: we need to continue our forward momentum, and, with the addition of some tweaks to the car and power unit, we will be looking for more progress and good correlation between the simulator and our on-track performance," the Spaniard said.

"That might not necessarily appear above the surface in either Spa or Monza, but we'll keep pushing development forward at each race."

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Button Tells Fans Not to Worry

Jenson Button has told his fans “don’t worry about me” as the McLaren board meets to decide his future.

Asked on Sky Sports whether he would still be with the team next season, he replied: “That’s a question I can’t answer.”

McLaren have continued to dither over the fate of their drivers as they seek to clear a place for the incoming Fernando Alonso now he has officially left Ferrari and the group CEO Ron Dennis had promised Button and his team-mate Kevin Magnussen an answer as to who would be in the car before the end of the season, only to put off the decision until the board meeting on Thursday.

Although a decision may be made at the meeting it is possible no announcement will be made until next week.

Speaking from a road-safety event in Edinburgh where he was accompanied by Magnusson, Button said: “I don’t know when we’ll find out.

“I’m here with Kevin, we’ve spent the last couple of days together and we’ve had some interesting conversations – and whichever way it goes it’s better for us to know sooner rather than later.”

He added: “It’s up to McLaren to make the decison and I will respect their decision whichever way it goes.

“But for me, I’ve had a fairly great career in Formula One which I would love to see continue.”

The 2009 world champion, who finished eighth in this world’s title race, continued: “I’ve really enjoyed this year, I feel we’ve got a good base for a great future, it’s an exciting new challenge and I’m all for new challenges.”

Should Button lose his seat, he has been tipped to join his contemporary in F1, Mark Webber, driving sports cars at Porsche. Asked whether he might be minded to turn down an offer from McLaren now that the affair had dragged on so long, he insisted: “I want to drive for McLaren.

“For me the last few months have been very tricky. Two months ago was very difficult when my future was uncertain but the last few weeks I’ve had so much support from fans and social media it’s given me confidence and kept me relaxed in the decision making and I’m in a good place wherever my future takes me.”

It would be no problem teaming up with the twice world champion Alonso, he said, adding: “He’s a guy who would be a massive challenge working with because you always want to beat your team-mate but an exciting challenge.”

Button has out-qualified and out-performed Magnussen, who finished 11th in the championship, on the track this season but the 34-year-old Briton is the more expensive choice. “Any decision has to be supported by the shareholders and the board,” Dennis has said.

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London Street Race on Button

Jenson Button believes Formula One's "dream" of a grand prix around the streets of London could yet become reality. Twenty months ago plans for a race through the streets of the capital were aired by British Grand Prix sponsors Santander.

Using CGI technology, a 14-corner, 5.1km circuit was unveiled, incorporating notable landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Trafalgar Square.

Many believed it to be a publicity stunt, although F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone threw his weight firmly behind the idea, adamant it was "no joke".

The 83-year-old even suggested putting the money up, with estimates then it would likely cost in the region of £35m. Such an event would, however, pose enormous problems, although one of those could yet be removed at some point in the near future.

The government on Thursday announced a consultation on closed-roadmotor sport events on mainland Britain which is due to run for six weeks through to 10 April.

While the primary objective is to pave the way for events such as stage rallies, sprints and hill climbs to take place on a limited number of British roads, it may also prise the door open to F1 taking to the capital.

There would still be considerable logistical and environmental issues to contend with, and understandable objection from many campaigners. But Button, who along with former McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton helped front the campaign in June 2012, is hoping something will eventually come to fruition.

"When I first saw the plans for a London Grand Prix I knew they were ambitious, but fantastic," said Button. "The thought of a race through the capital's streets was only a dream when they initiated the project, but this week's changes to the law bring the idea a step closer to reality.

"When you really picture what it would look like it's truly mind blowing. You could create such a unique grand prix through the streets of London – the roads are naturally very wide and long, so straightline speeds would be high, and you could create a real blend of corners.

"When you combine all of that with the world-famous monuments that would feature in the backdrop you can see why it would be an awesome addition to the calendar."

The new FIA-sanctioned series Formula E, with cars run via electric power, is due to take to the streets of Wembley and Stratford in June 2015 as the conclusion to the 10-race championship that commences in Beijing.

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has campaigned long and hard for Britain to follow the lead taken by many overseas countries who have staged closed-road events for years.

The MSA acting chief executive Rob Jones said: "This is the news British motor sport has been waiting for. It represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the landscape of our sport, allowing local communities across the country to host motor sport events and enjoy all the excitement and economic benefit they bring.

"However, to make that vision a reality we need everybody involved in our sport, from competitors and volunteers to clubs and organisers, to respond positively to the government consultation before the 10 April deadline.

"The government's enthusiasm for closed-road motor sport, and its launch of a public consultation, is the culmination of years of hard work behind the scenes.

"We now have to demonstrate the support that exists for closed-road motor sport around the country."

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Weights Disgraceful - Mansell

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Nigel Mansell says proposed weight limits in Formula 1 are "disgraceful" and "discrimination against the medium-sized large driver".

Next year's minimum weight limit has been increased to take into account the introduction of new engines.

But the engines are turning out to be heavier than expected, meaning taller - therefore heavier - drivers will be at a disadvantage.

"It's wrong. They [the drivers] are not jockeys," says Mansell.

The weight limit for the driver and the car this season is set at 642kg but with new, heavier 1.6-litre V6 turbo engines and energy recovery systems being introduced in 2014, the minimum weight has been raised to 690kg.

However, much of the extra 48kg is expected to be taken up by the new power units, leaving less leeway for the weight of the drivers.

Every kilogram a driver adds will matter, with 1kg of weight equating to about 0.035secs a lap on an average circuit.

Consequently, a driver like Fernando Alonso, who weighs 68kg, will have an advantage over Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg, who weighs 74kg.

Mansell added: "It's disgraceful, it's discrimination against the medium-sized large driver.

"In years gone by, we didn't have traction control or power steering - you had to be a strong driver and there were a lot of strong drivers. If you had this weight limit, they wouldn't have been able to drive cars many years ago - or they would have driven with great difficulty.

"So I think get the weight limit up a bit, make some cars carry some ballast so that the bigger drivers don't suffer as much. "

McLaren's Jenson Button, who weighs 74kg, has already expressed concern, saying ahead of the Korean Grand Prix: "I'm 74-75kg with my kit and I struggle to meet the weight limit. I have done for three years.

"I love fitness training but there are things I can't do because I have to be a set weight - not eat carbohydrates, not build muscle. And next year it will be worse. I don't think any team will have ballast next year."

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