Aston Martin confirm Jak Crawford as third driver for 2026

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 days 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,” said Crawford. “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.”

Aston Martin Team Principal Andy Cowell added: “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.”