Alonso misses Japan GP media day after baby news

Alonso skips media duties after becoming a father

Fernando Alonso will miss Thursday’s media day at the Japanese Grand Prix after the birth of his first child.

The Aston Martin F1 Team confirmed the two-time world champion is arriving late due to “personal family reasons,” later revealed to be the arrival of his baby with partner Melissa Jiménez.

Personal milestone for Alonso

• First child for the 44-year-old driver
• Keeps personal life largely private
• Team confirmed: “All is well”
• Expected to be back in time for Friday

Despite missing media duties, Alonso’s race weekend is not in doubt.

Limited track action expected

Alonso was already scheduled to sit out part of Friday:

• Rookie driver Jak Crawford will take part in one practice session
• Part of F1’s mandatory rookie running rules

This means Alonso’s preparation time at Suzuka will be slightly reduced.

Aston Martin’s troubled start

The bigger concern lies with Aston Martin’s performance:

• Last in the constructors’ standings after two races
• Double retirements for Alonso in Australia and China
• Major reliability issues with the Honda power unit

Key problems:

• Severe engine vibrations
• Battery failures in hybrid system
• Concerns over driver discomfort and even nerve damage

Pressure at Honda’s home race

The Suzuka weekend adds extra pressure:

• Race held at Honda-owned Suzuka Circuit
• Home crowd expectations high
• Performance still below target levels

Honda engineers have made some progress, but:

Energy recovery and deployment remain weak

Overall power output is still lacking

What it means for Alonso

This weekend combines:

• A major personal milestone
• A difficult technical situation
• A high-pressure home race for Honda

Alonso remains confident long-term, but the short-term outlook is challenging.

Final takeaway

Even before turning a wheel in Japan, this is already a significant week for Alonso:

• Becoming a father
• Managing one of the toughest starts of his career

The focus now shifts to whether he — and Aston Martin — can turn progress into performance at Suzuka.