SUZUKA — Fernando Alonso will miss the media day at the Japanese Grand Prix on Thursday because he is travelling to the race late following the birth of his first child. Melissa Jimenez has given birth to her and Fernando Alonso's first child.

Aston Martin confirmed the driver's delayed arrival in a statement. "Arriving slightly later this weekend for personal family reasons," Aston Martin said. The team declined to give any further details.

The team assured that Alonso would be present for the start of on-track activities. "All is well and he will be at the track in time for Friday," the team said. Fernando Alonso is not scheduled to take part in Friday's first practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The 44-year-old driver prefers to keep his personal life private. Alonso is in the final year of his contract with Aston Martin and has not said whether he wants to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2026.

The Japanese Grand Prix is held at the Suzuka Circuit, which was built in the 1960s on the orders of Honda founder Soichiro Honda. The Aston Martin reserve driver Jak Crawford will drive the car in one of the team's mandated rookie sessions this year.

The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix is scheduled to take place from 27 to 29 March. The Japanese Grand Prix race will start at 06:00 BST on Sunday.