Some Aust GP teams warn of boycott: report

Some Formula One teams are reportedly threatening to boycott next week’s Australian Grand Prix as speculation continues around the circumstances of McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso’s mysterious testing crash in Catalunya.

According to the respected German publication Sport Bild, teams are not satisfied about the lack of clear information released after the crash, which has caused Alonso to miss the season-opening race at Albert Park for fear of another potential major impact.

Alonso spent four days in hospital and reportedly displayed memory loss immediately after the crash but McLaren insists he will be fit for the remainder of the season.

Sport Bild reports several teams are considering pulling out of the Australian round due to safety fears based on the car’s new hybrid technology.

“They said teams fear speculation that Alonso was rendered unconscious by an electric shock from the sport’s controversial hybrid technology may be true,” Bild reported.

It quoted one unnamed team boss as saying: “If a plane crashes and there is even the slightest risk that it happened because of a system fault, other planes of that type are not left in the air.

“Formula one has been lucky that nothing serious has happened with these hybrid systems.

“If any of my drivers had an incident, I would invite all the other teams to study the data – just so we can be sure. Honda must provide answers to the FIA.”

The Spanish newspaper El Pais claims Alonso suffered full memory loss after the testing incident.

The paper said Alonso told doctors when he regained consciousness he thought it was 1995 and he was racing karts. He had regained his memory over the following week.

Gian Carlo Minardi, a former team owner with whom Alonso made his F1 debut in 2001, also called for more information to be made public.

“Silence in cases like these is not helpful,” he said. “In recent years, the FIA has made great strides in the area of safety and has all the tools to find out the truth.”

“It would be desirable if it was known before the race in Australia,” Minardi added.

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