Aston Martin confirms Alonso’s delay in Japan due to birth of first heir

Fernando Alonso will not participate in Grande Prêmio’s Japão press day on Thursday. The two-time world champion arrives late to the Suzuka circuit for personal family reasons related to the birth of his first child with his partner Melissa Jimenez. Aston Martin confirmed the information on Wednesday and guaranteed that the 44-year-old driver will be present in time for track activities on Friday. The team has chosen not to release additional details about the family event.

Aston Martin reported that everything is going well and that Fernando Alonso will join the team this weekend. The Spaniard prefers to keep his personal life private, which explains the lack of more official information. Fontes near the paddock confirmed that the birth occurred recently, justifying the late arrival at Japão.

• Jak Crawford, the team’s reserve driver, takes over Alonso’s car in the mandatory free practice session for rookies this season.
• The participation of Crawford fulfills the track time quota allocated to rookie drivers in the Fórmula 1 regulations.
• The young American thus gains valuable experience in a 2026 car during the first free practice session.

Initial problems of the Aston Martin and Honda partnership

The 2026 season started in a turbulent way for Aston Martin. New factory partnership with Honda faces serious reliability and performance issues from initial testing. The team’s car occupies last place in the constructors’ championship after the first two races held at Austrália and China.

Fernando Alonso abandoned the tests at Austrália and China. Seu teammate Nenhum of the two cars completed the full distance of the races contested so far.

Severe vibrations in the engine

The main technical problem identified involves intense vibrations generated by the Honda power unit. Essas oscillations affect the hybrid system’s battery and propagate to the chassis, causing significant discomfort to the drivers. At times, tremors impair sensitivity in the hands and feet during turns.

Shintaro Orihara, general manager and chief engineer of Honda on the tracks, acknowledged partial advances in reducing vibrations that impact electronic systems. Ele highlighted, however, the need for deeper solutions to identify the exact cause of the oscillations that affect pilot comfort. Engineers focused efforts on the short gap between China and Japão to improve overall reliability.

The power unit still has lower performance in both the internal combustion engine and the electrical system. Energy recovery and supply do not reach the maximum permitted limit of 350 kW. Esses combined factors explain part of the lack of competitiveness observed in the initial stages of the championship.

Honda preparation for the race at home

The Grande Prêmio of the Japão represents a special stage for the Honda, which competes on its historic Suzuka circuit. The track, built under the guidance of founder Soichiro Honda in the 1960s, requires high precision and represents an additional test for the team’s current technical package.

Those responsible for the Japanese manufacturer stated that they applied lessons learned from previous races to refine their preparation. Apesar of the reported progress, Honda admitted that performance has not yet reached the expected level, especially in energy management. Local fans are expected to turn out in large numbers to support the team over the weekend.

Punctual absence and scheduling in Suzuka

Jak Crawford will drive the car during Friday’s first free practice. Essa measure meets the requirement of Fórmula 1 for sessions aimed at novices and offers the reserve driver more mileage in real racing conditions. Fernando Alonso must join the team from Friday and follow the rest of the weekend program as normal.

The Spaniard is in the final year of his contract with Aston Martin. Ele has not confirmed plans beyond 2026, but remains focused on seeking technical improvements in the team. Aston Martin works to evolve the chassis developed under the supervision of Adrian Newey, who took command in March of the previous year.

Current situation in the constructors’ championship

Após the first two stages, Aston Martin accumulates zero points and occupies the last position among the teams. Early retirements and performance difficulties reflect the challenges of integrating the chassis and the new Honda engine. The team started developing the current car late, which contributed to the delay in the project.

Adrian Newey expressed confidence that the AMR26 can become competitive by the end of the season. Honda engineers continue to work on solutions to better isolate the battery from remaining vibrations. Atualizações of software and hardware should be introduced gradually in the next races.

The Suzuka circuit requires quick adaptation and offers the team an opportunity to demonstrate progress in relation to previous stages. The presence of the Japanese fans should serve as extra motivation for everyone involved in the partnership. The weekend in Suzuka will act as an important test bed for the ongoing adjustments.