Aston Martin have confirmed that Formula 2 Championship hopeful Jak Crawford will become their third driver for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Crawford has been a member of the team’s Young Driver Development Programme since 2024, accumulating over 2000km in Formula 1 machinery since then.
The 20 year old took part in the end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi last year and made his Grand Prix weekend debut in Mexico City just a few weeks ago.
Crawford is in the midst of a tightly fought Formula 2 title battle, sitting second in the Drivers’ Championship on 169 points – just 19 points behind leader, Leonardo Fornaroli heading into the final two rounds of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The young American is now set to take up a full-time Formula 1 role with Aston Martin, and expressed how delighted he was to be given the opportunity.
I’m incredibly proud to be confirmed as the Third Driver for 2026. It’s a huge moment in my journey with Aston Martin Aramco and a big motivation to keep learning and contributing. Over the past two seasons, I’ve learned so much from being in the Formula 1 environment, both at the factory and trackside. I’ll be doing everything I can to support the team and continue developing as a driver. Crawford on the news.
It is great to see Jak progress to become our Third Driver for 2026. Over the past two years, he has shown his value as a key member of our driver squad and built up a valuable bank of experience and test mileage. Jak has impressed in the simulator, having completed regular sessions at the AMR Technology Campus to support our race operations and car development. Jak’s performances in Formula 2 have also been outstanding, and we are excited to continue supporting his growth as he takes on a bigger role. Andy Cowell, Aston Martin Team Principal.
United States racer Jak Crawford will make his Formula 1 weekend debut at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix when he gets a rookie run-out for Aston Martin.
Crawford will take over the AMR25 of Lance Stroll during Free Practice 1 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, in one of the team’s four mandated rookie outings for 2025.
Crawford is currently P2 in the Formula 2 standings – while the Houston, Texas born driver has a wealth of experience in F1 machinery, having racked up over 2,000km of testing in various Aston Martin F1 cars, as well as being a regular in the team’s simulator at their Silverstone headquarters.
Crawford is not the only rookie taking part in the FP1 sessions, with nine different rookies taking part.
I’m thrilled to drive the AMR25 next week in Mexico for my first official Formula One session. I’ve worked closely with the team all year, so to now take the next step and get track time on a Grand Prix weekend is really exciting. Announcing this in Texas, where I’m from, makes it even more special after a busy week with the team and Aramco in Houston. Crawford on the news.
It’s fantastic to give Jak the opportunity to take part in FP1 in Mexico. He’s shown real maturity and provided strong technical feedback throughout the year, and these sessions are an important part of how we develop young talent. Jak has had a strong season in Formula 2 and has been a key contributor to the development of both the AMR25 and AMR26. This is a great chance for him to continue progressing while helping us gather valuable data. Andy Cowell, CEO and Team Principal of Aston Martin.
Andretti have announced that Jak Crawford and Frederik Vesti will represent the Andretti Formula E team at the official Season 11 Berlin Rookie Test, taking place on Monday 14th July.
Crawford returns to the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric cockpit for his third outing with the team, continuing to build on his experience as the Andretti Formula E’s team’s Reserve and Development Driver.
The American impressed in his previous appearances at the 2024 Berlin Rookie Test, where he finished second overall, and the 2025 Jeddah E-Prix Free Practice 0 session, where he topped the timing sheets.
Joining him in Berlin is Danish driver, Frederik Vesti, who will return to the all-electric World Championship having previously tested for Mahindra Racing at last year’s Rookie Test.
A multiple race winner in Formula 2 and a former title contender, Vesti brings added pedigree through his role as a test and reserve driver for Mercedes AMG F1 team.
Currently competing in the IMSA Sports Car Championship with Cadillac Whelen, the Danish driver’s experience at multiple levels of motorsport will serve him well as he builds on his previous Formula E outing and tackles the challenges of the GEN3 Evo.
We’re pleased to confirm Jak and Frederik as our rookie test drivers for Berlin. Jak continues to impress us with both his pace and professionalism, and having him back for a third outing will allow him to build even further on the work he’s already done with our simulator and engineering teams. We’re also very excited to welcome Frederik to Andretti Formula E. His motorsport experience across a variety of categories and his reserve driver role with the Mercedes-AMG F1 team make him an excellent addition to our rookie lineup. It’s a seriously strong pairing, and we’re looking forward to seeing what both drivers can deliver. Roger Griffiths, Team Principal.
I’m looking forward to getting back the car for another outing. It feels like it hasn’t been that long ago that I was driving in Free Practice 0 in Jeddah, so I’m excited to get back out and put in some good work for the team. I really enjoyed driving the track in Berlin at last year’s Rookie Test and felt I performed well, so very much looking forward to getting some more laps under my belt. Jak Crawford on the news.
I’m extremely happy and proud to be participating in the Rookie Test. I did the one-day test last year and had a good experience in the Formula E car, but this time around with a bit more experience and with a great team such as Andretti behind me, it’s going to be a really exciting day for me to explore the all new GEN3 Evo, work with engineers and of course, learn from the team. Hopefully, I can also contribute to some of the team’s different test items throughout the day. Frederik Vesti on the news.
Victor Martins made a positive start to Round 3, ending up fastest for ART Grand Prix in Free Practice. A 1:45.671 was the time to beat in a session that got quicker with every lap completed.
Roman Stanek started positively too for Invicta Racing, finishing second ahead of Dino Beganovic, who made a late improvement to go third for Hitech TGR.
After the tyre preparation laps, Joshua Duerksen set an early benchmark with a 1:49.034 for AIX Racing.
The times fell with every subsequent lap as Martins put ART on top with 10 minutes run on a 1:47.735, until Kush Maini pipped him by 0.012s. Stanek was next to go quickest, a 1:47.689 by the Invicta driver meant the top three was separated by just 0.046s.
The trio improved once again but this time it was Maini who led the way, 1:46.437 for the DAMS Lucas Oil driver leaving his 0.3s clear ahead of Stanek and F2’s latest Feature Race winner, Alexander Dunne.
Jak Crawford put in an improved to cut the deficit to teammate Maini to just 0.013s, but Martins went back to the top shortly afterwards.
Duerksen returned to P1 with 15 minutes to go of the session as the Paraguayan set a 1:46.387, leaving the top five separated by less than a tenth of a second.
Stanek then restored Invicta to the top of the pile as he moved onto a 1:46.217. Crawford cut the gap to 0.031s as he improved to second as Martins then went third and 0.087s off the top.
Gabriele Mini took P1 for PREMA Racing, but only briefly, as a storming lap by Stanek resulted in a 1:45.820 and the fastest time once again.
Into the final five minutes, and times continued to fall, Martins laid down the marker of a 1:45.671 to go back ahead of Stanek. A last minute improvement from Beganovic put him third ahead of Duerksen.
Qualifying-
DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford left it to his last lap of the day to take pole position in Jeddah, beating ART Grand Prix rival Victor Martins for the top spot by just 0.022s in a fascinating qualifying session.
Martins had looked set for pole after completing his first flying lap, but Crawford’s 1:43.579 was enough to take the top spot, as Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli rounded out the top three.
Martins set the early pace after the first set of laps, the Frenchman completing a 1:44.559 to lead Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne by 0.323s.
The drivers though were able to push on for a second attempt on their Supersoft tyres, and on this occasion, it was Arvid Lindblad on top thanks to a 1:44.250. Martins kept his place in the top two though, albeit 0.073s off the Campos Racing rookie.
Several drivers, including Lindblad, then set off for a third flying lap. However, they aborted those attempts to head into the pit lane for a new set of tyres.
With just over 11 minutes to go in the session, the drivers came back out on the track on their new sets of tyres.
Gabriele Mini used that fresh rubber to rocket up to the top of the timesheets, only for Luke Browning to quickly drop him down in P2.
As the rest of the field looked to complete their laps though, the red flags were waved following John Bennett’s crash into the barrier at Turn 17.
Once the car was cleared from the track the session resumed with 5 minutes remaining, which led to a flurry of activity with only enough time for one flying lap.
Crawford rose to the top with a 1:43.579, beating Martins by just 0.022s to give DAMS their first pole since Melbourne in 2023.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Crawford, P2: Martins, P3: Fornaroli, P4: Browning, P5: Lindblad, P6: Dunne, P7: Marti, P8: Mini, P9: Verschoor and P10: Stanek.
Andretti have announced that Jak Crawford has joined the team as its official Reserve and Development Driver for Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Crawford joins Season 9 World Champion Jake Dennis and Formula E veteran Nico Mueller to complete Andretti’s lineup for Season 11.
Crawford returns to the team after an impressive Formula E debut at the 2024 Berlin E-Prix Rookie Test where he demonstrated a strong understanding of the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric finishing the day second overall in classification.
The American has quickly climbed the motorsport ranks from winning multiple karting championships to competing in Formula 2 with DAMS Lucas Oil and becoming part of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One team’s Young Driver Development program this year.
Building on his experience, Crawford will play an integral role in the team’s Gen3 Evo development through simulator development and setup testing at Andretti Formula E’s Banbury headquarters.
I’m very excited to be the official Reserve and Development Driver for the Andretti Formula E team in Season 11. Growing up in America, Andretti is such a household name in motorsports so it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to be part of the team. I’m keen to learn as much about the car as possible from both Jake and Nico, and to play a role on the development side through simulator work. I’m looking forward to getting started and to hopefully have the chance to get more experience in the car. Crawford on the news.
We are very pleased to announce that Jak is taking a more permanent role with the Andretti Formula E team as our Reserve and Development Driver. His debut with us at the Berlin Rookie Test was very impressive and he immediately showed strong pace. When the opportunity of a Reserve and Development Driver arose, Jak was immediately of interest. He has demonstrated a mature approach through his second season in Formula 2, and since his appearance with us, has already achieved a win and three additional podiums. We look forward to his contributions in helping improve the team’s performance though his active role driving the simulator. Team Principal, Roger Griffiths.
DAMS Lucas Oil have retained Jak Crawford for the 2025 Formula 2 season, announcing that their partnership with the American driver is set to continue for a second consecutive campaign.
Crawford switched to DAMS for 2024, achieving five podiums including a Feature Race victory in Barcelona and with two rounds remaining the 19 year old is currently fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.
The American driver left the Red Bull junior team at the end of 2023 and has now joined Aston Martin, where he carried out his first Formula 1 test with the team back in June. He is expecting further opportunities with the team before the end of this year and an expanded role in 2025.
I’m really happy to be continuing with DAMS Lucas Oil for 2025 following on from a positive campaign so far in 2024. We’ve still got two rounds of this season to go as we’re pushing for a top five finish, and I hope that we can take a further step forward next year, to be challenging more regularly at the front. I can see how determined everyone in the team is to compete further up the grid, which is why I’ve decided to stay for a second year. Motor racing is a team sport and not an individual one, so we’ll improve together and hopefully next year we can see the rewards on track. Crawford on the news.
We’re thrilled to retain Jak for the 2025 season after a year that has produced both high and low points. Throughout the campaign, Jak has kept his head down and worked hard, which shows his great attitude. It’s a pleasure to continue with Jak for a second season, and our objective is to consistently compete at the front of the grid. Jak has shown his ability this year, appearing on the podium five times and putting in several strong performances. Charles Pic, Team Owner.
Maini suffered wheelspin off the line from pole and dropped to fourth while Martins profited to take the lead on the run to the first corner. Ritomo Miyata swept around the outside at Turn 1 to go from fourth to second, ahead of Correa and Maini.
On lap 2 and Maini made a late dive to the inside of Correa at the opening corner to recover one position. Teammate Gabriel Bortoleto followed him through at Turn 4.
In the battle for seventh, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar fought hard early on, though the Campos Racing driver was unable to find a route through on the PREMA Racing talent.
By lap 10, Martins was able to escape from DRS range of Miyata behind and led by 1.5s, while the Japanese driver held a 1.1s advantage over Maini in the podium places.
Antonelli had dropped out of DRS range to Paul Aron ahead and after a long time of trying, Hadjar finally cleared the PREMA driver into Turn 1 on lap 12.
With 10 laps to go, track limits became a problem for Miyata, and the Rodin driver was assigned a five-second penalty for one too many breaches. He earned a second time penalty in his struggle to remain ahead of Maini to bring that total up to 10 second with five laps remaining.
Further back, Hadjar lost seventh to Crawford as both DAMS cars looked to be taking better care of the tyres than those ahead. Correa was pressuring Bortoleto for the final podium place, but the Brazilian was able to fend him off to maintain position.
Onto the penultimate lap and a sizeable lock-up into Turn 5 was evidence of how hard Bortoleto was pushing to keep Correa behind. However, it gave the American a run into Turn 10 and after diving to the inside, he claimed fourth on the road.
Aron was next to clear Bortoleto, rounding the Invicta driver at Turn 3 on the final lap to take P5, as two corners later Crawford followed through to take sixth from him.
The full top 10 are- P1: Martins, P2: Maini, P3: Aron, P4: Crawford, P5: Bortoleto, P6: Hadjar, P7: Miyata, P8: Correa, P9: O’Sullivan and P10: Durksen.
Day 3-
Pole sitter Paul Aron got the perfect launch to lead into Turn 1 ahead of Crawford and Colapinto. Further back, contact sent Victor Martins and Dennis Hauger spinning into the gravel at Turn 2 leaving both out of the race.
Isack Hadjar was the biggest winner, moving up from 11th to fifth in the opening half lap prior to the Safety Car deployed for Hauger and Martins’.
Racing resumed on lap 4 and Aron retained the lead, escaping over a second clear to move out of DRS range to Crawford behind.
Lap 8 and the hard compound runners began to benefit over those on softs, with Joshua Duersken taking fifth from Hadjar into Turn 1. Crawford was in from second at the end of the lap, with Ritomo Miyata and Zak O’Sullivan following the DAMS driver in from inside the top 10.
Gabriel Bortoleto pitted on lap 11 for Invicta Racing, filtering back out in P14 behind Crawford but with warm tyres, O’Sullivan was able to pass him on the outlap to take the position.
Leader Aron was called into the pits and Colapinto followed him in on lap 12. The Hitech rejoined ahead of Crawford but with the DAMS driver on his rear wing. Through turn 3, the American driver took ninth from Aron, while Colapinto retained position over Bortoleto.
Duerksen had been the leader and yet to pit on the alternative strategy but on lap 18, he slowed to a half in the middle sector to bring out another Virtual Safety Car. His stoppage handed the lead over to Juan Manuel Correa, who was also yet to pit.
Racing resumed on lap 20, and Colapinto put Bortoleto under immediate pressure, with the Invicta driver getting his elbows out to keep the place. Just behind them, Aron got the slipstream to take 10th from O’Sullivan at Turn 2. One lap later and Hadjar eased by the ART driver at Turn 1.
With 10 laps to go, Correa pitted from the race lead for the soft compound, filtering back out onto the track in P9 just as Aron made a brave dive on Bortoleto into Turn 1 to take fifth.
As Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Amaury Cordeel pitted, Crawford retook the lead with Colapinto his closest rival for the win 3.6s behind in P2.
Onto lap 34, and Hadjar desposed Bortoelto for fifth while Invicta teammate Kush Maini gained seventh at the expense of Maloney on the run into Turn 1.
The Invicta teammate were nose to tail on the final lap and going wheel-to-wheel into the first corner collided with one another, leaving Bortoleto with front wing damage and Maini ahead in sixth.
The full top 10 are- P1: Crawford, P2: Colapinto, P3: Correa, P4: Aron, P5: Hadjar, P6: Maini, P7: Maloney, P8: Cordeel, P9: Marti and P10: Bortoleto.
Andretti have chosen Zane Maloney who will take the wheel of the teams’ Porsche 99X Electric in the Free Practice 0 session in Misano and the Berlin Rookie Test, with Jak Crawford joining the American squad for the first time to sample the Gen3 machine.
The next generation of racing talent will again have a chance to showcase their skills in Season 10. Free Practice 0 running ahead of the 2024 Misano E-Prix on Friday 12th April, followed by the 2024 Berlin Rookie Test after the double-header in the German capital on Monday 13th May.
Andretti is the first team to reveal the two drivers stepping into the seat of reigning champion, Jake Dennis and teammate Norman Nato. Zane Maloney is back to represent the American outfit, as he is the team’s official reserve and development by running laps in the FPO session in Milano.
Maloney will again take part in the Berlin test and American Jak Crawford will join for a full day behind the wheel of the Gen3 machine around the Tempelhof circuit.
Crawford who will make his Formula E debut at the 2024 Berlin Rookie Test has enjoyed a long history of on track success starting in karts before making his car racing debut in Formula 4 in 2018. After two years in FIA Formula 3, Crawford was promoted to Formula 2 quickly becoming a race winner at the Sprint race in Austria in 2023.
Recently announced to the Aston Martin Young Driver Development program, Crawford will be the seventh American to participate in an official Formula E session joining fellow countrymen Marco Andretti, Matthew Brabham, Scott Speed, Oliver Askew, Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood.
I can’t wait to represent Andretti Formula E once again at both Misano and Berlin. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the team and thank them for all the trust they have put in me. It will be interesting to see how the development work I’ve contributed to behind the scenes translates to the actual car on track during both occasions I get to drive it.
Maloney on the news.
We are excited to announce Zane Maloney’s participation in the Free Practice 0 session at the 2024 Misano E-Prix, as well as his inclusion in our 2024 Berlin Rookie Test lineup. Zane has proven to be a valuable asset to our team through his development work on the simulator, and we are confident that his knowledge will benefit us during the Misano E-Prix doubleheader weekend and the Berlin Rookie Test. Additionally, we are pleased to announce Jak Crawford’s rookie debut at the Berlin Rookie Test,which marks an important milestone in his career. We look forward to seeing him showcase his talents on the Formula E stage. These opportunities are integral to Andretti Global’s commitment to developing and mentoring the next generation of drivers, and we are eager to see both Zane and Jak excel on track.
Aston Martin have announced that 18 year old American Jak Crawford will be joining their Young Driver Development programme for 2024.
Crawford will be going into his second year in F2 with DAMS, having previously raced for Hitech alongside Isack Hadjar. Both drivers were previously both part of the Red Bull junior programme, but now Crawford has made his way across to the green of Aston Martin.
Aston Martin’s junior programme gives talented young drivers the opportunity to test older F1 machinery, with Crawford set for a stint in the AMR22 later this year. Not only this, he will also be tasked with simulator work to give valuable feedback to the team, as well as getting a taste for media duties and the marketing commitments that go in hand with the F1 world.
I am proud to take this next step in my career. The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team is a great place to learn and grow, and the programme ahead sounds exciting. I cannot wait to start working with everyone – especially on the simulator where I can make a contribution to the team’s performance on race weekends. I’m thrilled to get the chance to drive the AMR22 car later this year. It is a big motivator for me to work hard and make the most of this great opportunity.
Crawford on the news.
As part of the growth of the team we want to offer talented young drivers a valuable development programme and I have no doubt Jak will flourish in this environment. As part of the growth of the team we want to offer talented young drivers a valuable development programme and I have no doubt Jak will flourish in this environment. He has shown great potential throughout his junior career and we look forward to supporting his learning and development as he steps into the AMR22 for the first time.
Jak Crawford will be returning for a second Formula 2 campaign next year, partnering up with DAMS for the 2024 season.
The 18 year old became an F2 race winner in his rookie year, taking the Spielberg Sprint Race victory for Hitech Pulse-Eight. He went on to finish 13th in the Drivers’ Standings with a further four podium finishes and a pole position to his name.
Crawford’s single-seater career began in 2018 when the American driver finished second in the NACAM Formula 4 Championship. From there, he moved over to racing in Europe, claiming five wins and further seven podiums on his way to second in the 2020 ADAC Formula 4 Championship, alongside sixth in Italian F4.
Graduating to Formula 3 in 2021 with Hitech, he earned his maiden podium in Spa. At the same time, he achieved third in Euroformula Open, despite only racing in 16 out of the 24 races.
Returning for a second campaign the following year with Prema Racing, Crawford kept himself in title contention until the final round, eventually finishing seventh overall with one win and four more podiums before stepping up to F2 this season.
I’m very excited to be joining DAMS for 2024. I believe the team is the best place for me to be for the coming season to get the most out of myself as a driver in my second season of Formula 2. I’ve been impressed by the work ethic and achievements of the squad. I believe that together, we can achieve strong results in next year’s campaign. Our goal for next year is to make the absolute most of every race weekend. I’m looking forward to joining up with DAMS in the post-season test to begin working with them ahead of next season.
Crawford on the news.
We’re delighted to have such a young talent in Jak driving for us in next season. He has already demonstrated his ability and dedication throughout his career, and showed he is ready to compete at the front in F2 with his victory and podiums this year. We’re excited to work with him during post-season testing at Abu Dhabi and to deliver a strong 2024 campaign together.
Jak Crawford has announced that he will leave the Red Bull Junior Team in 2024, but has already secured his racing future with a second season in Formula 2.
The 18 year old became a Red Bull junior in early 2020, and that year he finished second in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship. He was Euroformula race-winner in 2021, took a first FIA Formula 3 Championship win in his second there last year then became a winner on his 13th F2 start in Austria.
He currently sits in 13th in this season’s F2 standings ahead of this weekend’s season finale, and has so far stood on the podium five times and claimed a pole position.
Crawford has been racing for HiTech Pulse-Eight this year, and has not indicated if his 2024 F2 deal is with the British outfit or a different team.
We are thankful for the Red Bull funding for four years, and honestly, we could not have done much of it without their substantial support. We were wanting to make key decisions and we let them know mid-year. After that, they didn’t pick up my fifth and final year, so we are in control now. I truly appreciate everyone at Red Bull, especially Rocky [Guillaume Rocquelin]. I really enjoyed the last two years with him at the factory. Everyone has a different path, but mine has been to be moved up fast and to a different team every year. In two years, I will be only 20 years old, so we are going to slow it down and work a more thoughtful plan. That is all I can say about our plans at this point in time. Again, I am grateful for Red Bull for four years of support.
Crawford in a statement issued by the Sunday Group Management firm.
Light rain ahead of the race meant half the field opted to start on the wet tyres. Utilising the dry soft tyres, reverse polesitter Crawford held the lead through the opening corners, but it was Arthur Leclerc who made the most of his choice to start on wets.
Jehan Daruvala spinning off into the gravel at Turn 7 brought out an early Safety Car at the start of Lap 2.
Out front, Leclerc opted to stay out and held the lead at the restart on Lap 4. Second-place Richard Verschoor dropped a wheel over the sausage kerb and spun off at the exit of Turn 1, which resulted in another Safety Car.
Another beneficiary of the soft tyres, Novalak had already made up 16 places after dispatching Isack Hadkjar for fourth and soon caught Correa. A spin for Fittipaldi between Turns 3 and 4 after catching the grass led to the Virtual Safety Car.
Clement Novalak crossed the line in P3 but got disqualified after the race as his cars rear tyre pressure were below the limit required.
The full top 10 are- P1: Crawford, P2: Martins, P3: Hadjar, P4: Correa, P5: Stanek, P6: Hauger, P7: Doohan, P8: Bearman, P9: Vesti and P10: Nissany.
Day 3-
From second on the grid, Vesti got the better launch at lights out, immediately snatching the lead from polesitter Victor Martins. The ART driver also lost out to teammate Theo Pourchaire by Turn 1 and his early struggles continued.
After making up five places alone on the opening lap, Iwasa was up to ninth on Lap 6. Amaury Cordeel squeezed Dennis Hauger onto the grass exiting Turn 1, leaving the door wide open for Iwasa to overtake them both.
Pourschaire was the first of the leading pack in for his mandatory stop on Lap 8, followed in by Maini and Jehan Daruvala. Doohan and Martins swiftly joined them in a lap later, whilst Vesti extended his opening stint for another lap before handing the lead over to Fittipaldi.
Arthur Leclerc and Oliver Bearman were both in for supersofts on Lap 27. While the PREMA Racing driver rejoined at the tail end of the order in 18th, the Monegasque driver was forced to pull off to the side of the track shortly after his pitstop, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
Converted to a full Safety Car on Lap 29, the alternate strategy runners capitalised, with Verschoor completing his mandatory stop and coming out in fifth.
The full top 10 are- P1: Verschoor, P2: Iwasa, P3: Vesti, P4: Doohan, P5: Bearman, P6: Fittipaldi, P7: Pourchaire, P8: Crawford, P9: Martins and P10: Daruvala.
HiTech Grand Prix will be fielding an all-Red Bull Junior driver line-up for the 2023 season, announcing that Isack Hadjar and Jak Crawford will be graduating to Formula 2.
Both are familiar faces to the British team, with the pair having previously driven for them in Formula 3 – Crawford in 2021 and Hadjar most recently in 2022 – as well as getting their first taste of F2 machinery at post-season testing in Yas Marina last November.
18 year old Hadjar, arrives off the back of a fourth-place finish in F3 last year. A title contender all the way to the final round, he managed to clinch three wins and a further two podiums.
I’m really excited to be part of the Red Bull Junior team and continue this journey with Hitech for another year. Hopefully we can win some more races and have a strong season together.
Hadjar on his seat for 2023.
Meanwhile Crawford returns to HiTech after a year away, the American finished his debut F3 campaign 13th in the standings before switching to PREMA Racing for the 2022 season.
There he scored one win and four podiums to take seventh, helping the Italian team to the Teams’ Championship title, alongside fellow 2023 graduates Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc.
I am delighted to be back with Hitech for my first season of Formula 2. It will be a tough season with a strong grid but I am looking forward to what lies ahead.
Crawford on his seat.
We are excited to field once again two cars in FIA Formula 2 in Red Bull Junior Team colours, especially with two such promising young talents. Isack we saw first hand his last year as a rookie in Formula 3 and Jak we know him well from his first F3 season with us in 2021.
Prema, have now completed their 2022 line-up with Jak Crawford taking the final seat.
The Red Bull junior, made his debut in Formula 3 in 2021 with HiTech Grand Prix, he finished 13th overall, also in 2021 Jak competed in Euroformula Open Championship where he finished 3rd overall, even after missing two rounds due to his commitment to F3.
The American, made his debut with Prema at post-season testing in Valencia where he finished five out of the six session in the top 10 and led the second day overall.
Crawford started his single-seater career in 2018 where he took second place in the NACAM Formula 4 Championship and moving to the USF 2000 Championship for 2019. In 2020, he made the move to the European racing scene where he joined the Red Bull junior team as well as finishing second in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship.
“I’m very excited to be joining PREMA for a second season of FIA F3 as well as contesting the Formula Regional Asian Championship with them. I am very much looking forward to building on what I learned last year in my rookie season, and hoping to emulate the success that other drivers have had with the team in the past. FIA F3 will be the main focus for me this year and I am eager to get the season underway.” said Crawford.
“We have always kept a close eye on Jak,” added PREMA Team Principal René Rosin. “He established himself as one of the most promising drivers since his Formula 4 days, and finally working together will be extremely interesting. I’m sure that there is enough potential to aim high for 2022. We already had the chance to work with him in testing, and we look forward to continuing that process in the Formula Regional Asian Championship. I’m equally delighted to continue our work with the Red Bull Junior Team in order to develop the next generation of high-profile racing drivers.”
My Opinion-
I think this is the right move, his now got experience in Formula 3, and I think now he is with Prema he will show everyone what he can do and I am personally looking forward to it!
Jordan's Track Talk 