Alonso undergoes successful surgery on fractured jaw

Fernando Alonso has undergone successful surgery after suffering a fractured jaw in a cycling accident on Thursday.

Alonso was assessed overnight in hospital where medics discovered he had sustained a fracture of his upper jaw. He has since undergone a corrective surgery and will remain under observation for the next 48 hours.

Alpine said that it expects the two-time champion to be “fully operational” soon and take part in pre-season testing in Bahrain next month.

“Following his cycling accident yesterday Fernando Alonso was kept under observation in hospital in Switzerlan,” a statement from Alpine said.

“Medics discovered a fracture in his upper jaw and conducted a successful corrective operation. The attending medical team are satisfied with his progress.

“Fernando will remain under observation in hospital for a further 48 hours.

“Looking forward, after a few days of complete rest, he will be able to progressively resume training. We expect him be fully operational to undertake preparation for the season.

“Alpine F1 Team and Fernando thank you for your wishes and will issue further updates when appropriate.”

Should Alonso not be fit in time for March’s test, a replacement driver has not been confirmed by the team.

Alpine announced its junior line-up earlier this week that includes F2 drivers Guanyu Zhou, Christian Lungaard and 2020 F3 champion Oscar Piastri though none possess an F1 superlicence.