Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso, a 44-year-old Formula 1 driver for Aston Martin, is currently in the news due to two main reasons. Firstly, he and his partner, Melissa Jiménez, have recently welcomed their first child together. This event has caused him to delay his arrival to the Japanese Grand Prix, missing the media day. Secondly, Alonso will be replaced by Jak Crawford, a rookie driver from the Aston Martin academy, during the first free practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix. This substitution is part of the F1 regulation requiring teams to allocate track time to rookie or young drivers. This is happening while his teammate, Lance Stroll, has reportedly expressed strong dissatisfaction with the performance of the Aston Martin car. Alonso's absence from the media day and the rookie driver taking his place are significant news items within the F1 community.