After taking part in two 60-minute Free Practice sessions with the British outfit during his career as the team’s Reserve and Test Driver, Jak Crawford returns to F1 to get behind the wheel of Fernando Alonso’s AMR26 for the first Free Practice session of the Suzuka race weekend.

Following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to conflicts in the Middle-East, Crawford and the new Formula 2 grid will be shy on experience for the 2026 season, with four races being cancelled resulting in just 22 races left of the season, opposed to the expected 26.

Despite the 2025 F2 runner up being granted just 60 minutes to familiarise himself with the speedy Suzuka circuit, the experience will be incredibly valuable to Crawford and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team.

Finishing 19th in both of his previous two outings with Aston Martin, the young American will be looking to impress and make his footing in Formula 1 at a vital time, with new regulations scrambling the playing field and current pecking order.

However, with Aston Martin’s somewhat difficult start to the 2026 season, Crawford’s focus may be on gaining experience and setting laps, opposed to topping the timing chart or creating headlines.

Considering this is Aston Martin’s first of four mandatory rookie FP1 sessions this year, Crawford’s return is imminent and he will continue to work with the team throughout the year.

Following the announcement, Crawford has said:

“I’m really excited to get behind the wheel and drive for the team at Suzuka,” said Crawford. “It’s such a historic yet demanding circuit, and I can’t wait to apply what I’ve learned in the simulator to real track conditions.

“A big thank you to the team for giving me this opportunity. As with my previous FP1 sessions, I’m looking forward to making the most of it and learning as much as I can.”

You can catch the first session of the Suzuka race weekend at 11:30 local time.

Image: Aston Martin F1