Overview
- Aston Martin, which issued a statement Wednesday, said Fernando Alonso will skip Thursday media duties at the Japanese Grand Prix and arrive at Suzuka on Friday for personal family reasons.
- Outlets including BBC Sport and Yahoo report the delay follows the birth of his first child with partner Melissa Jimenez, while the team declined to share details.
- Reserve driver Jak Crawford will take Alonso’s car in Friday’s first practice to fulfill a required rookie outing, with Alonso expected to return for FP2.
- Honda says it reduced some engine vibrations that had damaged the hybrid battery and cut power, yet it has not found the root cause and energy management—how the car harvests and deploys electric power—remains below target at Suzuka.
- Alonso retired in China after reporting numbness in his hands and feet from vibrations, the team sits on zero points after two rounds, and specialist outlets report ongoing leadership uncertainty with Adrian Newey’s role and Jonathan Wheatley linked as a possible successor.