Crawford to Drive for Aston Martin in Austrian FP1 Session

Aston Martin has confirmed that Jak Crawford will be back in the driver's seat for the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix, participating in the first practice session. This marks Crawford's fourth FP1 outing with the team and his second this season, following his run in Japan. His appearance will also meet the second of Aston Martin's four mandated rookie practice sessions for the year.

Earlier this week, Crawford was busy with a Pirelli tyre test in Barcelona, and now he's set to step into Lance Stroll's AMR26 for a one-hour session at the Red Bull Ring—a track he's familiar with from his F2 and F3 days.

Crawford first tested an Aston Martin F1 car at this same circuit in June 2024, so his return to Austria is somewhat of a homecoming. "It's great to have another opportunity to drive the AMR26 during a race weekend," said the 21-year-old American. "Austria is a circuit I know well, and I’m looking forward to applying my simulator work and recent tyre test experience on track."

Mike Krack, Aston Martin's Chief Trackside Officer, noted the importance of Crawford's role as Third Driver. "Jak continues to play an important role, and this FP1 session is another valuable step in that process. Austria provides another opportunity for us to evaluate his progress while gathering valuable data for the team," Krack added.

Crawford has been a regular in the team's simulator program and is eager to deliver useful feedback during the session—a chance to convert his behind-the-scenes work into on-track performance.