Fernando Álvarez will have to wait a little longer before returning to the driver’s seat. On Wednesday, his team announced he had to be rehospitalized and undergo another surgical procedure. After initially hoping to return at the Jordan Baja in April, his new trajectory is the Baja Greece in late May.

Dr. Carlos Solá has been overseeing Álvarez’s treatment and recovery at Hospital Italiano in Argentina. He successfully underwent surgery in early March, but doctors noticed his wounds were oozing when they removed the stitches. This necessitated the second operation and samples were taken to see if the injury was infected.

Álvarez suffered a sciatic nerve injury while racing the Dakar Rally in January, which has sidelined him since. The 2024 World Baja Cup SSV champion missed the season-opening Saudi Baja later that month, while his continued absence means he won’t run the second round in Jordan either. He also did not run last weekend’s Safari Rally Kenya.

Baja Greece is scheduled for May 29 to June 1. Despite missing the first two rounds, he has little reason to worry since the series lets drivers drop two races from their final points tally.

Featured image credit: Horacio Cabilla / ASO