Fernando Alonso will not take part in Thursday’s media day at the Japanese Grand Prix, as the two-time world champion awaits the birth of his first child.

The Aston Martin driver and his partner Melissa Jimenez confirmed last year that they were expecting a baby, with the due date falling around the Suzuka race weekend. As a result, Alonso has adjusted his schedule and will arrive at the circuit later than usual.

Aston Martin confirmed that the Spaniard will join the team on Friday and is expected to return to action for the second practice session.

“Fernando is arriving slightly later this weekend for personal family reasons and won’t be attending media day at the Japanese Grand Prix. All is well, and he will be at the track in time for Friday,” the team said in a brief statement.

Alonso had already been scheduled to sit out the opening practice session, with reserve driver Jak Crawford taking over his car in FP1 as part of the mandatory young driver running. This will mark Crawford’s third Formula 1 practice appearance, following outings in Mexico City and Abu Dhabi last season. Despite the late arrival, Alonso is expected to complete the remainder of the weekend without restrictions, starting with FP2 on Friday.

Once his child is born, Alonso will become the fourth father on the current Formula 1 grid, joining Nico Hülkenberg, Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen.