The F1 drivers’ union "has moved to reassure its members amid serious concerns over safety following the crash which put Fernando Alonso out of the Australian Grand Prix and could threaten his career," according to Daniel Johnson of the London TELEGRAPH. The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association "sent a memo to its members on Friday morning promising to keep up the pressure on McLaren and the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, with the circumstances of the accident still unknown." It added that "it remains unclear if any safety procedures will need changing in the wake of the crash." The leaked message "is an indication of growing anxiety among F1 drivers about how Alonso came to crash in pre-season testing on February 22." The two-time champion suffered a concussion in the accident and woke up “thinking it was 1995,” according to reports in his native Spain. The GPDA told drivers that "fears of a car failure, or electric shock, were unfounded, but that they were still in the dark about Alonso’s condition, and whether he was unconscious before he lost control of his McLaren." If there was an underlying illness which prompted Alonso to lose control, that "throws his career into doubt." There have even been some reports that teams "were considering a boycott
due to safety fears after Alonso’s accident," but several high-level
sources said that "this is well wide of the mark." The latest message from the drivers’ union "highlights the mystery which surrounds Alonso’s accident and condition." Former F1 Chief Doctor Gary Hartstein suggested
that Alonso "could have passed out due to arrhythmia -- an irregular
heartbeat." If that is true, he "will require a pacemaker." The FIA
"is currently investigating the accident" and its doctors will have to
clear Alonso before he is allowed to race in Malaysia on March 29 (TELEGRAPH, 3/6).
