Aston Martin make Fernando Alonso replacement decision for Hungarian GP amid injury worry

Fernando Alonso is set to race at the Hungarian Grand Prix despite missing the first practice session of the weekend through injury. Complaining of back pain, the 44-year-old elected to sit out FP1 on Friday and was replaced by Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich.

"In the days following the Belgian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso has been managing a muscular injury in his back," the team confirmed. "As he continues with treatment this morning, he has chosen to sit out of FP1. Felipe Drugovich will drive in FP1 alongside Lance Stroll."

Aston Martin also said that a final decision over whether or not Alonso would drive in Budapest would be made "in due course". But the feeling from within the team was that it was always likely that the Spaniard would be getting back behind the wheel.

And that has now been confirmed. Having given his back some extra rest and not put it through the strain of the laps that he would have completed in that first hour of running, the two-time Formula 1 champion now feels fit enough to get back in the cockpit for the second practice session of the weekend. He has been medically cleared by the FIA, the team confirmed.

Chief trackside officer Mike Krack told reporters at the Hungaroring on Friday that there was never too much concern about their star driver's participation. "Fernando developed a small muscular problem after Spa. With the intensity of our calendar, there is never enough recovery time," he said.

"Even for sleep sometimes, there is not enough recovery time because you have to travel. I think that is one of the issues. We elected to increase the recovery time and drop out FP1, which is normally the least important session. The plan is to have Fernando in the car from FP2 onwards."

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Being absent from FP1 only gave Alonso's back a few more hours of rest, having already had several days to recover since the Spa-Francorchamps race last Sunday. But time, Krack went on to say, was a less important factor than the number of laps the veteran would have completed in that first hour of running at the Hungaroring.

He added: "I don't think it's the hours, it's probably the lower amount of laps rather than the hours. Yeah, the Grand Prix is long. If you think about the number of laps, it's going to be a long afternoon."

And he confirmed that the team has made changes to that car to help Alonso be as comfortable as possible, explaining: "We have obviously made some modifications. He is fit in position. We have checked some stuff yesterday, how to make him more comfortable. We are quite confident."

It means Drugovich's long wait for a chance to race in F1 goes on. The Brazilian won the 2022 Formula 2 title but has not had the chance to show what he can do in the top single-seater category, having spent the past two-and-a-half years as reserve at Aston Martin while also making sporadic appearances in other motorsport series such as endurance racing and Formula E.