- Alonso and Melissa Jimenez welcomed newborn during the Japan GP week.
- F1 gifted the newborn a paddock pass, welcoming him to the family.
- Alonso missed media duties in Suzuka due to the baby’s arrival.
Fernando Alonso and Melissa Jimenez recently welcomed their first child, and Formula 1 made sure to greet the newborn with a special gift. Thanking the sport for their sweet gesture, Alonso took to social media to post their present and also subtly revealed the name of his baby boy.
Alonso and Jiménez met in the paddock and reportedly started dating in 2023. They preferred to keep their personal lives away from the limelight. However, late last year, some reports revealed that the duo is expecting their first child together around the Japanese GP weekend this year.
In March 2026, Alonso skipped the media duties for Japan as his arrival was delayed, following the birth of his child.
What did F1 gift Alonso’s newborn?
The Aston Martin driver recently took to Instagram story to share what Formula 1 gifted his newborn son. The present was a paddock pass with the baby’s credentials and photo, in which his face is covered with a helmet. The pass read “Welcome to the F1 family.” Moreover, it also disclosed the baby’s name alongside Alonso and Jiménez’s surname. The couple have named the baby “Leonard.” He captioned the photo, “big thanks to @f1! First of many.”
In a conversation with DAZN during the Suzuka weekend, Alonso shared an update on how the mother and baby are, while expressing his feelings on becoming a dad. He said, “You never really imagine anything specific. Things just happen as they happen, and there’s a bit of stress and worry about everything going well. Fortunately, it went well, both for the mum and the baby. A super happy, very special moment. And now, it’s time to work.”
Alonso missed media duties and didn’t appear in FP1
During the Japanese GP week, Alonso missed out on the media session, which generally takes place on Thursday. This is because he was expected to arrive the next day, as he was delayed, following the arrival of the baby. The team issued a statement, without citing the specific reason, but many ultimately understood that he had to be there with Jimenez and the baby.
They just cited his reason for delay as “personal reasons” and provided an update on him being back on track for Friday. He didn’t participate in Suzuka’s first practice as he was replaced by reserve driver Jak Crawford. Alonso currently stands in 21st place in the driver’s standings with no points as the car continues to face engine issues.
