Jak Crawford says he is noticing increased support from young Formula 1 fans in America, following a demonstration run in his hometown of Houston before the United States Grand Prix.
Aston Martin ran its 2022 car for Crawford on Tuesday as part of its title partnership with Aramco, with the 19-year-old taking to the streets of the Texas city. An evening event sold out and as he races in Formula 2 — the final rung below F1 on the junior ladder — Crawford says he is receiving more backing and interest in both his own career and the sport as a whole.
“A few years ago there wouldn’t have been much attention towards an American driver, but as F1’s popularity in the States has surged and I’ve climbed the ladder towards F1, people here have recognized me a bit more and the support has really grown,” Crawford said.
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“It’s cool to see Americans my age having an interest in the sport, and that includes the feeder series to F1. I have a lot of friends who can watch my races on TV in the U.S. now.
“I remember when I was starting to follow F1 I could only find the races on TV, never free practice or qualifying, but now you can watch every F1 session and our F2 races too. It’s the same as in other sports where the top league gets popular and then fans want to learn about the upcoming names in the divisions below.”
When not based in Europe, Crawford’s family home is in Houston and he says the opportunity to drive a modern F1 car in places that he often visits was a special experience.
Showing up in Houston with @aramco. 🤘 pic.twitter.com/BOjqynxnEd
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) October 15, 2024
“I’ve been up to some really fun stuff, been having a blast for Aramco as part of their Generation 3 initiative,” he told SiriusXM. “It’s been really fun, I’ve been able to go to a couple of different venues so far and do a bunch of donuts everywhere and meet a bunch of people, so it’s been a blast. And just to be able to get out of my own bed and be able to do this is super cool.
“It’s crazy to think — even last year I wouldn’t have had a clue this was happening. It’s great that it is. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done I think in my life, it’s such a special day.”