American driver Jak Crawford will be Aston Martin’s third driver for the 2026 Formula 1 season, effectively acting as reserve to Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll should either be unable to race.
Crawford, 20, has been part of Aston Martin’s driver academy since 2024 and drove for the team in opening practice at the Mexico Grand Prix, his first experience of taking part in a real F1 session.
Aston Martin’s announcement highlighted how important his involvement behind the scenes is. The statement said: “Throughout 2025, Jak has been a constant presence in the simulator at the AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone, providing valuable technical feedback that has supported both race operations with the AMR25 and development work on the 2026 challenger, the AMR26. He has clocked over 2,000km in F1 machinery in testing events.
“I’m incredibly proud to be confirmed as the third driver for 2026,” Crawford said. “It’s a huge moment in my journey with Aston Martin 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.”
The reserve role is a crucial one to modern F1 teams as it is the driver entrusted to step in at late notice if required due to illness or injury.
Aston Martin hopes to be a contender in 2026 under the sweeping rule change coming into force on both the aerodynamic and engine side of the car.
Team owner Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in state-of-the-art facilities and top talent, including legendary designer Adrian Newey.
Aston Martin has also secured an exclusive supply of Honda engines from 2026 onwards.
