McLaren admits Alonso return talks 'ongoing'

Apr.2 - McLaren has confirmed talks with the FIA about getting injured Fernando Alonso back into his McLaren-Honda are "ongoing" in Bahrain.

We reported earlier that, after Stoffel Vandoorne filled in for the Spaniard in Friday practice, McLaren supremo Ron Dennis met with FIA doctor Jean-Charles Piette in a bid to get Alonso back to work for Saturday and beyond.

Alonso, 34, has been sidelined following a partially-collapsed lung and with rib fractures, but according to Spanish reports Dennis is unhappy about the process by which the FIA arrived at the decision to sideline the driver.

When asked about Dennis' talks with FIA officials, a McLaren spokesman told us early on Saturday: "Dialogue between McLaren and the FIA is ongoing and to be expected.

"It remains our, the FIA's and indeed Fernando's intention to prioritise his health and wellbeing whilst optimising his chances of returning to the cockpit as soon as possible," he added.

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Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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