Jak Crawford will drive a 2024 Formula 1 car at the Abu Dhabi young driver test at the end of this season.
Aston Martin will run the American on the Tuesday after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Crawford getting to run the most recent car for the first time. The 19-year-old has driven a two-year-old car on multiple occasions earlier this year, and also demonstrated it in Houston earlier this week, but the young driver test will be his first outing in current equipment.
“I’m excited about the opportunity of driving the AMR24 for the first time in Abu Dhabi,” Crawford said. “I’ve spent lots of hours on the simulator back at the AMR Technology Campus, and I will be continuing this ahead of the test to make sure I am well-prepared.
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“Yas Marina is a circuit I know well, so hopefully this will help me get up to speed quickly. I would like to say a big thanks to everyone at Aston Martin Aramco for the chance to drive this year’s car in the test.”
Crawford joined Aston Martin from the Red Bull junior program ahead of this season and said the F1 seat time he is getting is helping him to progress as a driver.
“That will be a great opportunity to get a full day in the car – the current car – to feel the current spec of car and just get a bunch of laps under my belt,” he told SiriusXM. “That’s the first great opportunity, and then continuing on what I’ve done this year. So some more days in the car hopefully next year, lots of simulator work as well, developing as a driver, so I’m very much looking forward to the future.”
In Abu Dhabi, Crawford will also be racing in Formula 2 the weekend before the test, and Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack says his earlier running has played a part in earning him the opportunity.
“We’re looking forward to giving Jak the opportunity to drive the AMR24 in Abu Dhabi as part of his role in the Aston Martin Aramco Young Driver Development program,” Krack said.
“He’s already shown a high level of understanding in previous tests with us this year and I know he will be working hard in preparation for the test alongside competing in the final two rounds of the F2 championship.”