McLaren believes Alonso will race in Australia

McLaren's Dennis believes that Fernando Alonso will be fit for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, following his Barcelona testing crash and protracted hospital stay.

Dennis spoke to the press in Barcelona today, and admitted that Alonso had suffered a “relatively short period of unconsciousness – only seconds” following the accident.

He said that it was the doctors who decided he stay in hospital for such a long period of time, and that the medical focus was “extreme” due to Alonso’s standing in Spain, and that they were “completely supportive” of what transpired.

"I can't foresee any reason why not, but I'm not the doctor," said Dennis of Alonso’s likely participation in Melbourne.

“There is a procedure under the FIA to evaluate a driver after this thing and probably if he did it now he would pass. He had the accident a short while ago.

“Would anybody say that it was common sense to bring him here (to this test)? No. So after that we put it down the road. It's not for us (to decide).”

Alonso 'wants to drive now'

Dennis added that Alonso is keen to get back behind the wheel as soon as possible.

“He's completely lucid, talking, wants to drive, wants to go testing, and the doctors said if you really want to be sure the most important thing, and if you want to have the best chance of going to Australia, then the best thing to do is to rest him," he said.

“And we are not going to go against the wishes of the doctor so it's as simple as that."