APRIL 8, 2003

Alonso back in Europe

After being taken to the Saint Louis hospital, in Sao Paolo, following his huge accident in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso was released and returned to Europe to prepare for the San Marino Grand Prix in two weeks, with nothing more than a sore knee.

"I still feel a bit dazed, but it's nothing serious. I am lucky to have got off so lightly, and I'm going to rest for a few days. The impact was massive, and this is by far the worst accident of my career. A big thank you to the team and to the FIA, who take the drivers' safety very seriously. Cars today are incredibly tough", said Alonso, "It all went too quickly. From the third corner onwards, I had seen the yellow flags and the sign 'SC' telling me that the safety car was coming out, but at that moment, there were yellow flags all around the circuit. I was careful, but I didn't expect there to be as much debris. I couldn't avoid a tire in the middle of the track. Everything then happened very quickly. I remember hurtling towards the wall. The first impact was very hard."