Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso will be absent from media day at the Japanese Grand Prix following the birth of his first child. The 44-year-old Spaniard's team confirmed on Wednesday morning that he would miss Thursday's press commitments for personal family reasons.
Family First for Alonso
It has since been revealed that Alonso's partner, Melissa Jimenez, has given birth to their first baby. Despite this significant family event, Aston Martin has assured that Alonso will be present at the Suzuka Circuit in time for Friday's practice sessions.
The team emphasized that Alonso's absence is purely related to family matters and that he remains committed to his racing duties. This development comes during what has been a challenging start to the 2026 Formula 1 season for the Aston Martin team.
Practice Schedule Adjustments
Alonso is scheduled to miss the first practice session regardless of his family situation, as reserve driver Jak Crawford will participate in one of the team's mandatory young driver sessions. Alonso is expected to return to the cockpit for the second practice session on Friday afternoon.
The team's statement clarified that while Alonso will miss media obligations, his racing commitments remain unaffected beyond the previously planned absence from FP1.
A Difficult Season Start
Aston Martin has endured a particularly difficult beginning to the 2026 Formula 1 championship. The team has been plagued by issues with power unit partner Honda and significant vibrations affecting their AMR26 car.
Before the season opener in Australia, team principal Adrian Newey disclosed that both Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll had expressed concerns about potential permanent nerve damage to their hands and feet resulting from the car's violent oscillations.
Driver Health Concerns
These concerns became reality during the previous grand prix in China, where Alonso retired from the race due to discomfort in the car. Onboard footage clearly showed the two-time Formula 1 world champion regularly removing his hands from the steering wheel to avoid the punishing vibrations.
"It was difficult, we found more vibrations than any other session of the weekend," Alonso explained after his retirement. "Physically, I could not continue much longer. I started to lose the feeling in my hands and feet, it was not a nice feeling."
Stroll also retired earlier in the Chinese Grand Prix due to a suspected battery issue, compounding the team's troubles.
Championship Struggles
Aston Martin currently finds itself, alongside new entrant Cadillac, rooted to the bottom of the championship standings with zero points after the opening races. This weekend's event at Suzuka holds particular significance as it represents Honda's home race.
Honda's Response
Honda's trackside general manager Shintaro Orihara addressed the ongoing challenges ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix: "In China, we made some progress in terms of battery reliability thanks to a reduction in the vibration affecting the systems, but we must find more solutions to establish the cause of the vibrations affecting the drivers."
"We have also focused our efforts in the gap between China and Japan to continue to improve our reliability, but still our performance is not where we want it to be, especially regarding energy management. Suzuka Circuit is a tough track for this, so we have been using the learnings from Australia and China to prepare better for the Japanese Grand Prix."
Orihara added: "We are not at the level where we wanted to be going into this weekend, but we will keep working hard to maximise our package."
The combination of Alonso's family celebration and the team's technical challenges creates a complex backdrop for Aston Martin's participation in their engine partner's home event, where they will be hoping for improved fortunes on track despite the difficult circumstances.
