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F1 Driver Wakes Up From Crash Thinking He's A Child And It's 1995

by Emily Arata

Fernando Alonso always dreamed of becoming a race car driver.

And when a severe crash took the successful Formula One competitor out last month, the impact briefly knocked him back to childhood.

Although Alonso's sponsor, McLaren Honda, has been vague about the severity of Alonso's injuries, Spanish media outlet El Pais reports the man awoke after the crash believing he was just 13 years old.

According to the paper, it took the 33-year-old a week to regain his memories.

The pre-season crash took place February 22 in Barcelona.

Shortly after the incident, Alonso reportedly told doctors the year was 1995, he drove go-karts for fun and he hoped to be an F1 driver one day.

Although he'd been knocked unconscious for mere seconds, the shock was reportedly enough to reset Alonso's memory.

The BBC reports retrograde amnesia is a fairly frequent side effect of concussions, noting Alonso was kept in the hospital for three nights.

#LeMans24Hrs pic.twitter.com/M78raKsKeu — Luis Garcia Abad (@lsgrcbd) June 14, 2014

The famed driver, who has won two world championships, has taken time to focus on his health.

28 G pic.twitter.com/sw18Aeexry — Luis Garcia Abad (@lsgrcbd) November 3, 2013

As the Australian Grand Prix nears, sports fans can't help but hope the Spanish driver will compete in the season-opening race.

Twitter

Although media outlets published conflicting reports, a tweet from Alonso's official account earlier this week indicates he'll be a firm no-show.

It will be tough not to be in Australia, but I understand the recommendations. A second impact in less than 21 days "NO" #countdownMalaysia — Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) March 3, 2015