Sergio Hernandez will be able to take part in the British rounds of the World Touring Car Championship after being passed fit following his accident in Portugal.

Hernandez was left with bruising to his ankle in his accident at the start of the first race in Porto, when contact with the LADA of Jaap van Lagen saw him go heavily into the wall on the start-finish straight – with the impact leaving his BMW severely damaged and the wall needing lengthy repairs before the race could be restarted.

With the Spaniard able to escape serious injury in the shunt, Hernandez will be able to take part in the Brands Hatch race weekend and said he was keen to put the accident behind him and fight for a points finish.

“I'm glad that I can take the start in Brands Hatch,” he said. “In 2008 I scored a point there as a privateer. That shows that I cope really well with this circuit. My accident in Portugal is a thing of the past.”

BMW Team Italy-Spain team-mate Alex Zanardi enjoyed a strong weekend at Brands Hatch last season with a double points finish, and the popular Italian will look to add to his seasonal tally after a tough weekend in Portugal.

“I had a strong weekend in Brands Hatch last year and brought home eleven points from Great Britain,” he said. “I don't see any reason why this shouldn't again be a successful weekend for us. After the races on Porto's street circuit, I'm now happy to return to a proper race track.”