Late arrival
Formula 1 star becomes a father for the first time
March 25, 2026 – 3:00 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Fernando Alonso will arrive late for the Japanese Grand Prix. But the reason is a happy one.
Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso is expecting his first child. As several media outlets unanimously report, the child’s due date is next weekend, which is why the Spaniard will arrive late for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. Alonso’s Aston Martin racing team announced on Wednesday that the 44-year-old would arrive late to Suzuka for “personal family reasons”, but did not go into further detail.
The team also said: “Everything is good and he will be at the track in time for Friday.” It had already been announced that Alonso would not take part in the first training session on Friday. Reserve driver Jak Crawford will take part in the session. The teams are obliged to allow young drivers to complete a certain number of training sessions during a season.
Alonso makes it a point to keep his private life out of the public eye as much as possible. What is known, however, is that he is in a relationship with the Spanish sports journalist Melissa Jiménez. With the birth of the child, Alonso becomes the fourth father among Formula 1 drivers, alongside the German Nico Hülkenberg (Audi), the Mexican Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) and the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull).
At 44 years old, Alonso is currently the oldest driver in the field. In 2005 and 2006 he secured the world championship title, back then in a Renault, by beating German racing legend Michael Schumacher (Ferrari). However, things are currently anything but smooth for Alonso: the Aston Martin is having massive problems with the new Honda engine. Alonso did not finish in any of the two races of the season so far.
