American racing prodigy Jak Crawford is set to make his Formula 1 debut in current machinery at the Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test following the 2024 season finale. The 19-year-old, part of Aston Martin’s Young Driver Development program, will pilot the AMR24 on the Tuesday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, marking his first outing in a 2024-spec F1 car.
Crawford, who has already logged hours in a two-year-old Aston Martin F1 car this season and completed a demonstration run in Houston, expressed his excitement about this significant step in his career. “I’m excited about the opportunity of driving the AMR24 for the first time in Abu Dhabi,” Crawford stated. “I’ve spent lots of hours on the simulator at the AMR Technology Campus, and I will be continuing this ahead of the test to make sure I am well-prepared. Yas Marina is a circuit I know well, so hopefully this will help me get up to speed quickly.”
Crawford joined Aston Martin’s young driver ranks this season after leaving the Red Bull Junior Team. Reflecting on his development, he credited the F1 seat time he’s gained with Aston Martin as pivotal in his progress. “That will be a great opportunity to get a full day in the current car, to feel the current spec and get a bunch of laps under my belt,” he told SiriusXM. “I’m very much looking forward to the future.”
In addition to the young driver test, Crawford will also be competing in the Formula 2 season finale at Yas Marina, capping off a busy and pivotal weekend. Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack underscored that Crawford’s previous testing sessions with the team helped earn him this opportunity. “He’s already shown a high level of understanding in previous tests with us this year,” Krack said. “I know he will be working hard in preparation for the test alongside competing in the final two rounds of the F2 championship.”
This test represents a critical step for Crawford as he continues to build his experience and strengthen his claim for a potential future F1 seat.
