Fernando Alonso will fly to the United States to take part in the race despite concerns about his back which he injured during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Rumours from Italian media suggested he would sit out both Austin and Brazil in order to recover after he suffered from a 15G impact when he was forced wide by Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne.
He would have been the second driver to skip the races after, ironically, future team-mate Kimi Raikkonen confirmed he will undergo back surgery.
“Packing the bag for Austin, with some pain, but eager and confident to help the team,” he tweeted, adding: “I will try to give 100% as always.”
He will have to be checked by FIA doctors before being declared fit.
The Spaniard is in an intense battle for second in the drivers’ championship. Raikkonen is just 34 points behind, but will obviously score nothing, whilst Lewis Hamilton is a further eight behind.
