FERNANDO ALONSO has declared himself "ready to go" ahead of facing one final hurdle prior to his return to Formula One in Malaysia this weekend.

The double world champion missed the opening round of the season in Australia following a crash in his McLaren in the second pre-season test in Barcelona in which he sustained concussion.

Alonso has since undergone numerous tests and examinations to ensure he is fit to step back into the cockpit of his car, with a final medical assessment by the FIA due to be conducted on Thursday at the Sepang International Circuit.

Given the heat and high humidity in Malaysia the FIA will also be eager to satisfy itself Alonso will be able to cope with the conditions.

The Spaniard is adamant he is fine as he said: "I've been working hard on my fitness and I feel good and ready to go this weekend.

"The heat in Malaysia is always very tough for the drivers, but I've been focusing on this in my training and I'm definitely prepared for all of the weather conditions we can face in Sepang."

Should Alonso return he faces an immediate uphill struggle given the lack of performance of McLaren, now reunited and powered again by Honda.

After stand-in Kevin Magnussen retired on the formation lap with a technical issue in Melbourne, Jenson Button went on to see the chequered flag at Albert Park, only to finish two laps down on race-winner Lewis Hamilton in 11th and last place.

Aware of the difficulties to come, Alonso added: "I watched the weekend in Australia very closely and I was in touch with the team from the moment they arrived.

"It's clear we have a lot of work ahead of us, but Jenson's result in Melbourne was encouraging from the point of view of reliability and data collection, which are extremely important.

"The weekend will still be tough, but I'm looking forward to getting into the car for the first time in a grand prix and getting back to racing.

"I've spent some time in the simulator back at the factory, and my focus will be on continuing the development of our package with my engineers, and working on our balance and race set-up.

"There's a lot of potential in the car and we will keep pushing every race until we see results.

"Although we are a long way from the front, everyone in McLaren-Honda is working hard to develop the package and keep building momentum with each race."

GOLF: The Madeira Islands Open has been rescheduled for the end of July after last week's event was postponed due to extreme weather.

The European Tour yesterday confirmed the tournament would tee off again on July 30 until August 2, with Sunday's postponement coming after just one round had been played at the Santo da Serra, with strong winds, dense fog and heavy rain making play impossible.

Keith Waters, chief operating officer of the European Tour said in a statement: "Given the importance of the Madeira Islands Open and our close working relationship with the golf club and sponsors, we were very keen to reschedule the tournament and the fact that we have managed to do so this quickly is testament to the desire and commitment of all parties to reach an agreement."

Prior to the cancellation, Denmark's JB Hansen had held the clubhouse lead on four under par, one shot ahead of a group of eight players which included England's Andrew Marshall and Scotland's Peter Whiteford, with the entire field separated by just six shots.