Safety comes first, says Jenson Button

Jenson Button can understand the reasoning why Fernando Alonso will not be making his second debut with McLaren this weekend.

On the advice of doctors, Alonso is absent from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after sustaining concussion following a heavy crash on the final day of the second pre-season test last month.

Fears were expressed to Alonso of ‘second-impact syndrome’ whereby a serious brain injury, or even death, could occur should the 33-year-old be involved in a second incident so soon after the first.