Alonso will undergo surgery after the bike accident in February

With the 2021 season over, completely concluded after the Pirelli tests in Abu Dhabi, it is time to regain strength and rest before returning to the fray at the beginning of 2022 to prepare for an intense course.

Next year, Formula 1 will have a record calendar of 23 more condensed races than in recent times (the world championship will end in November), and the category also faces a new cycle of rules that will completely change the cars.

And before facing the automobile course, Fernando Alonso will take advantage of the break to go through the operating room to have the plates that he has worn throughout the 2021 championship removed.

Before returning to F1 with Alpine , the media and fans were heartbroken by the news that Alonso had suffered a serious traffic accident while cycling in Lugano (Switzerland), where he was hit by a car.

He had to undergo surgery for the fracture of the “upper jaw” of the mandible that he suffered, and for this reason he missed the presentation of his car, the Alpine A521. However, he managed to get to pre-season in Bahrain on time, but admitted that his preparation had not been the best and revealed that he would wait until the end of the season to undergo surgery again.

On Sunday after the Abu Dhabi GP, he revealed on DAZN that he was going to have surgery in January, and reported it again after the post-season test, in a meeting with different media, including Motorsport.com.

When asked what he would do now on vacation, the Alpine man commented: “I need to be prepared or prepare a little better than last year.”

“February’s bike accident didn’t help this season. Next January I’ll have to have surgery to remove the plates from my face, so I’ll have two weeks off next month.”

“Still, I probably would have had those weeks off anyway, even without the operation, because it’s time to relax.”

Alonso had warned the team that he would be at the factory from January 1 ready to work on the 2022 car, although work at Enstone is going according to plan and overtime will not be required on bank holidays.

And after the rest and the operation? “After that, we have to go to the winter tests with a good physical training program and also in the car, and prepare ourselves. If the car is competitive, I am sure that I will be 100%.”

The 2022 pre-season will start at the Barcelona circuit from February 23-25, and then Sakhir (Bahrain) will host the second week of testing.

Enjoy the latest photos of Alonso in F1 2022

Fernando Alonso, Alpine F1

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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine F1

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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine F1

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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine F1

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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine F1

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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine, with the adapted Renault RS18 (“crutch”)

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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine F1, adapted Renault RS18 (muleto) with the 18-inch Pirelli

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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine F1, adapted Renault RS18 (muleto) with the 18-inch Pirelli

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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine, with an adapted Renault RS18 (muleto) with the 18-inch Pirelli

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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine, with an adapted Renault RS18 (muleto) with the 18-inch Pirelli

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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine, with an adapted Renault RS18 (muleto) with the 18-inch Pirelli

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Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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photo by: alpine

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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photo by: alpine

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Erik Junius

Race winner and 2021 F1 Drivers’ World Champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing celebrates with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso

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Photo by: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Charles Coates/Motorsport Images

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Simon Galloway/Motorsport Images

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT02

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Foto de: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT02, Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C41

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Photo de: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

The Safety Car in front of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, the rest of the group

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Photo by: Sam Bloxham/Motorsport Images

The Safety Car in front of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, the rest of the group

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Photo by: Sam Bloxham/Motorsport Images

The Safety Car in front of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, the rest of the group

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Photo by: Sam Bloxham/Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Foto de: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Foto de: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT02

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Foto de: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT02

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Foto de: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21, Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri AT02, Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A521, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

Esteban Ocon, Alpine A521, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521, Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri AT02, Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo Racing C41, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR21

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Photo de: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Charles Coates/Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine

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Fernando Alonso, Alpine

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Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521

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Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images