Aston Martin announce Lance Stroll replacement at Austrian Grand Prix following…read more
Aston Martin have officially announced that reserve driver Jak Crawford will take over Lance Stroll’s car during the opening practice session of next weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.
The move forms part of Formula 1’s mandatory rookie driver programme, which requires every team to provide young drivers with opportunities to participate in practice sessions throughout the season. Crawford will drive the AMR26 during FP1 before Stroll returns to the cockpit for the remainder of the race weekend, including FP2, qualifying, and the Grand Prix itself.
The announcement comes during a difficult campaign for Stroll, who has yet to score a point in the opening seven race weekends of the 2026 season. However, the Canadian did manage to outperform his experienced team-mate Fernando Alonso in qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix, marking the first time in nearly two years that he had achieved that feat.
For Crawford, the Austrian Grand Prix will represent another valuable opportunity to gain experience behind the wheel of a current Formula 1 car. Although he has not yet competed in a Formula 1 race, the American has already participated in several practice outings for Aston Martin. During the 2025 season, he took part in FP1 sessions at both the Mexico City and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. Earlier this year, he also drove for the team during the first practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix.
After being promoted to Aston Martin’s official third driver role for 2026 following Felipe Drugovich’s departure, Crawford has played an important role behind the scenes. He has spent significant time in the simulator helping with car development and recently participated in tyre testing duties in Barcelona.
Speaking about his latest opportunity, Crawford expressed his excitement about returning to the Red Bull Ring. He noted that the circuit is one he knows well and highlighted how special it would be to drive an Aston Martin Formula 1 car there again, almost two years after his first test with the team. He also emphasised his focus on providing useful feedback and making the most of every lap to support Aston Martin’s development efforts.
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 2, 2005, Crawford began karting at just six years old. After winning numerous karting titles, he stepped into single-seater racing in 2018, competing in the NACAM Formula 4 Championship where he secured six victories and finished runner-up in the standings.
His rise through the junior ranks continued in Italian Formula 4 before joining Red Bull’s junior programme. Crawford established himself as one of motorsport’s brightest prospects during the 2022 Formula 3 season, where he claimed a race victory and several podium finishes despite being only 16 years old.
He progressed to Formula 2 in 2023 and remained in the championship for three seasons, racing for Hitech and later DAMS. Across his F2 career, Crawford recorded six race wins. His strongest campaign came in 2025 when he finished second in the championship behind Leonardo Fornaroli, collecting four victories and two pole positions. Those performances helped strengthen his reputation as a future Formula 1 contender and earned him greater responsibilities within Aston Martin’s driver programme.
