Fernando Alonso, driver of Aston Martin Racing, has decided not to participate in the media day corresponding to the Japanese Grand Prix, which will take place this Thursday. This absence is due to the imminent birth of his first child, an exciting moment for the driver and his partner, Melissa Jimenez.
According to information provided by his team, Alonso will arrive at the Suzuka Circuit on Friday instead of Thursday, as is usual for drivers. During the training sessions, the Asturian will give up his seat during the first session to the team’s reserve, Jak Crawford, as part of the regulations requiring outings of rookie drivers throughout the season.
An official statement from Aston Martin indicated: “Fernando arrives a bit later this weekend for family reasons and will not attend the media day of the Japanese GP. Everything is fine and he will be on the track in time for the Friday session.”
The first day of activity for Alonso at the circuit will be in the second training session, where he will share the track with his teammate, Lance Stroll. Both drivers arrive at Suzuka after a complicated start to the season with their vehicle, the AMR26, which has suffered several battery failures due to excessive vibrations from the Honda engine.
Aston Martin occupies the last place in the championship, having not scored points yet. Although the vibrations decreased in the last test in China, no significant improvements are expected for the Japanese Grand Prix. Shintaro Orihara, track manager of Honda, stated that they have been working to improve the reliability of the battery system, but the overall performance is still not acceptable.
The Suzuka circuit is known for being demanding, and the team is applying the knowledge gained from previous races to face this new appointment with more guarantees. However, the constant changes in the team structure have also impacted performance, with recent news about the possible resignation of Adrian Newey as team director, leaving the position in the hands of Jonathan Wheatley.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
