Despite undergoing surgery for a fractured upper jaw and having teeth removed, Fernando Alonso should be "fine" to test and race in Bahrain next month.
"I’m ok and looking forward to getting 2021 underway," said the Spaniard, after Alpine announced that its 39-year-old driver will remain in hospital for the next two days.
And the Renault-owned team said in a statement: "Looking forward, after a few days of complete rest, he will be able to progressively resume training.
"We expect him be fully operational to undertake preparation for the season."
Alonso’s former McLaren and Ferrari stablemate Pedro de la Rosa agrees that the two-time world champion "will have time to recover" before Bahrain.
"Fernando is fine and there is still a whole month to go, there is time for him to take part in the tests," de la Rosa, who is also Spanish, told the Marca newspaper.
"Of course, the helmet fits snugly to the jaw and on the straights the driver has to withstand serious upwards loads, but it is encouraging that it is only the jaw and some teeth.
"That means recovery will not take long, although it will affect Fernando because he cannot train for the moment," he added.
Maxillofacial surgery specialist Juan Rey Biel told the same newspaper that Alonso will be on antibiotics at present but should be able to train again in two weeks.
Spanish journalist Carlos Miguel reported: "Alonso plans to return to training in five or six days.
"He’s in a good mood, chatting with friends and responding to messages from the hospital. He has several tiring days ahead, but the upper jaw heals faster than the lower one, he added.
Another maxillofacial surgeon, Dr Julio Acero, told Spanish newspaper Cadena Cope: "Once the bone is put back in place, recovery is quite fast. In five or six days, he can return to sport.
"In four weeks, the fracture could already be healed."