Alonso leaves Sepang track with ear infection

UPDATE Fernando Alonso opted to conserve energy today after being diagnosed with an ear infection and subsequently only completed 20 laps in the afternoon session in Sepang, recording the 15th fastest time.

"We tried not to do too many laps today as I wasn’t feeling one hundred percent. It’s a very demanding weekend in terms of the heat because we sweat so much, but it was important that we still got enough information. I hope what we have learnt today will be useful for tomorrow and allow us to work on improving the set-up. Hopefully I will recover more this evening and feel better tomorrow so that I can give my maximum in qualifying, which I think will be one of the most important parts of this weekend, so we need to be ready for that."

04/02/09 (GMM) Fernando Alonso left the Sepang circuit early on Thursday, after being diagnosed with an ear infection.

The Renault driver met in the early afternoon with Dr Riccardo Ceccarelli, who advised him to abandon his duties at the Malaysian circuit and return to his hotel to rest.

Alonso's team, however, insists that the 27-year-old will be fit to contest Friday's practice sessions, according to the sources Diario AS, Reuters and the Associated Press.