Fernando Alonso has 'great day' in McLaren car simulator

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Fernando Alonso sat out the first race of the season in Melbourne
  • Author, Andrew Benson
  • Role, Chief F1 writer

Fernando Alonso has tweeted his delight after spending time in McLaren's driver simulator ahead of a return to action.

The double world champion missed the season-opening race in Australia last weekend after suffering concussion in a crash in pre-season testing.

On Wednesday, he took another step towards a return to the cockpit, later tweeting: "Great day. Lots of meetings and simulator work!"

Before he can race again, Alonso must pass a number of medical checks.

The 33-year-old Spaniard, who spent three days in hospital after the crash, is planning to undergo those checks later this week.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, McLaren say they found no faults with the car after Alonso's crash

It is normal practice for drivers to prepare for the next race in a simulator, but the session will have helped Alonso determine whether his senses have fully recovered from the effects of the accident.

Sources close to Alonso say that he has been concerned by the crash, the causes of which so far are unexplained, and especially by his loss of memory in the immediate aftermath.

But Alonso is determined to race in the next grand prix in Malaysia on 29 March and has posted photographs of his preparations on