Jak Crawford, Aston Martin reserve driver in F1, celebrates his 21st birthday on May 2nd, 2026

Jak Crawford was born on May 2, 2004, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Like many drivers of his generation, he began his career in karting At a very young age—seven years old—he quickly established himself as one of the most promising prospects in the United States in the sport. Several American national titles later, he began to make a name for himself on the international stage, attracting the attention of European teams and young driver programs. His transition to single-seaters came in 2018 in Formula 4 NACAM, where he finished as runner-up in his first season with six victories—a more than convincing debut for a driver who was only 14 years old at the time.

After a brief stint in the US F2000 in 2019, the American joins the Red Bull Junior Team in 2020, one of the most prestigious development programs in the paddock. He joined Van Amersfoort Racing to compete in the German and Italian Formula 4 championships. In Germany, he scored five victories and finished as runner-up behind Jonny Edgar — the same driver who would later also join Red Bull. In 2021, he moved to Formula 3 at Hitech while also pursuing a parallel program in Euroformula Open with Motopark, where he achieved eight victories and finished third in the championship. The following year, he joined Prema in Formula 3 and secured a victory at Spielberg, finishing seventh in the championship in a particularly competitive category.

Formula 2 and the Aston Martin corner

His move up to Formula 2 in 2023 with Hitech marked a new stage, culminating in a sprint race victory in his debut season, which saw him finish thirteenth in the championship. In 2024, he joined DAMS and significantly improved his performance, achieving several podium finishes, including a victory in Barcelona, ​​to finish fifth in the championship. Also in 2024, he left the Red Bull Junior Team to join the young driver program of [unspecified organization].Aston Martin — a significant change of direction that links him to the British team, which is rapidly gaining strength under Lawrence's leadership Stroll.

In October 2025, Jak Crawford takes another step forward by making his official debut in Formula 1 During free practice for the Mexican Grand Prix, driving the Aston Martin, he made his debut on the grid of the world's elite, a recognition of his development within the program and naturally opening up prospects for the future. At 21 years old, he embodies this generation of American drivers striving to make their mark in a championship experiencing growing enthusiasm in their country—fueled in particular by the success of the Netflix series Drive to Survive and the expansion of the calendar with the Miami and Las Vegas Grands Prix. His future in Formula 1 remains to be written, but the foundations have been laid.

ALSO READ > Jak Crawford will replace Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin for FP1 in Japan