- Jak Crawford replaces Alonso in Japan FP1
- Alonso skipped media duties due to personal reasons.
- Alonso and Jimenez began dating in 2023 and welcomed first child recently.
Fernando Alonso will skip FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix, with reserve driver Jak Crawford set to race his Aston Martin on track. The team also announced earlier that Alonso won’t appear to complete his media duties on Thursday, as his arrival at Suzuka is delayed following the birth of his first child with Melissa Jiménez.
They reassured that he’ll be back on track on Friday instead. Recently, there was a leadership shift, with Adrian Newey stepping down from his team principal role and now focusing on the technical side. Audi team boss Jonathan Wheatley will now lead the team instead.
Aston Martin driver change for FP1
Last year, Aston Martin announced that Crawford would be their third driver for all the races of the 2026 season. This will be the third practice session he will be taking part in with the team, having previously appeared in Mexico and the Abu Dhabi GP. He drove the AM F1 car for the first time in 2024 at the Red Bull Ring.
Recently, Crawford addressed his appearance in FP1 in Japan, expressing his excitement to get behind the wheel. He said, “It’s such a historic yet demanding circuit, and I can’t wait to apply what I’ve learned in the simulator to real track conditions.” He further went on to thank the team for the opportunity and looks forward to making the most out of the practice session.
Aston Martin addresses Alonso’s missed media duties
Late last year, there were reports that Alonso and Jiménez are expecting, with the arrival of the baby possibly to happen in March 2026, clashing with the Japanese GP. The duo has preferred to keep the pregnancy private, as not much information is publicly disclosed.
Even the team’s recent statement cited the driver’s delay as being for “personal reasons,” which many have understood to be related to the arrival of their newborn. Moreover, the team also reassured fans that “All is well and he will be at the track in time for Friday.”
Alonso and Jiménez’s relationship
Alonso and Jiménez have reportedly been dating since 2023 and have kept their relationship away from the spotlight. Jiménez is a sports journalist who joined DAZN to cover F1 in 2022.
Naturally, the duo met at the paddock. It’s known that they live together in Monaco. Jiménez was previously married to Marc Bartra, who is a professional centre-back for La Liga club Real Betis. They share three children, who now live with Jiménez in Monaco.
