Jak Crawford

Carlton Jakston "Jak" Crawford (born 2 May 2005) is an American racing driver, who competes in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for DAMS as part of the AMF1 Driver Development Programme, and serves as a reserve driver in Formula E for Andretti.

A member of the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme since 2024, he previously raced for Hitech in 2023. Before that, he competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship for two years, finishing the latter year seventh in 2022 with Prema. He finished runner-up in the 2020 ADAC Formula 4 Championship.

Career

Karting

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Crawford started his karting career in 2011 after he moved to the Houston, Texas area. He competed in multiple championships, predominantly in North America, winning the Challenge of the Americas - Junior Rotax Series among others. In Crawford's first overseas karting race in 2014 at the Rok Cup International Championship, while only 9 years old, he finished second. Other international karting competition was mostly sporadic but generally successful.

Lower formulas

In 2018, Crawford made his car racing debut in the NACAM Formula 4 Championship, driving for Scuderia Martiga EG. He won six races, and with eight further podiums the American driver finished second in the Series behind Manuel Sulaimán.

Crawford raced in the German and Italian Formula 4 Championships in 2020, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic he would only compete part-time in the latter. He signed for Van Amersfoort Racing, partnering fellow Red Bull Junior Team member Jonny Edgar. The American driver would end up finishing second in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship with a gap of just two points behind Edgar, while in the Italian Championship he would finish sixth, despite missing two race weekends.

Road to Indy

U.S. F2000

In April 2019, Crawford joined DEForce Racing to contest part of the 2019 season as he was not old enough to start the racing season. In July, he switched to Cape Motorsports to contest the final five rounds and ended the season seventh in the standings.

Euroformula Open

In March 2021, it was announced Crawford would race with Motopark in the 2021 season alongside his FIA Formula 3 commitments. Crawford missed the first two races of the season at Algarve due to his age, however he took 8 wins and a further two podium finishes to finish 3rd in the standings despite missing 2 rounds.

Formula Regional

2022

In January 2022, Crawford partook in the Formula Regional Asian Championship with Prema ahead of their FIA Formula 3 campaign together. Crawford took 3 podiums en route to 6th in the overall standings.

2023

Crawford partook in three rounds in the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship with Hitech Grand Prix before his main 2023 campaign.

FIA Formula 3 Championship

2021

In October 2020 Crawford completed the first post-season test at Catalunya, running for Hitech GP. Later that month, the British outfit once again fielded Crawford in the second post-season test at Jerez and confirmed him for the 2021 season in January the following year. Crawford's best result was second place at Spa in race 1 and he finished 13th overall that season.

2022

In November, Crawford joined Prema Racing, which had taken fellow Red Bull junior Dennis Hauger to that year's title, for the post-season test. In January 2022, Crawford was confirmed with the Italian outfit for that year's championship. Crawford took his first and only victory of the season at the Sprint race in Austria. An additional 4 podiums saw the 17 year old American finish 7th in the overall standings with 109 points to his name.

FIA Formula 2 Championship

2023

Crawford tested for Hitech Grand Prix in the 2022 post-season Yas Marina F2 test. In January 2023, it was announced that Crawford would be reuniting with Hitech for the 2023 Formula 2 Championship, partnering Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar.

Crawford began his rookie F2 season by qualifying 19th., Crawford would finish the sprint in 14th and followed that up by finishing 12th in the feature race. Looking to bounce back in Jeddah, Crawford qualified 10th meaning he would start the sprint from reverse pole. Crawford led the sprint for one lap before being passed by Ayumu Iwasa causing him to drop to 2nd but it would get worse for Crawford as was passed by Ralph Boschung, Jehan Daruvala, Victor Martins, Kush Maini, Frederik Vesti, and Jack Doohan dropping him to 8th. Crawford would then be overtaken by Dennis Hauger on the line meaning he finished 9th, just missing out on scoring his first point by 0.175 seconds. The feature race be tough as Crawford's strategy didn't work leading to him finishing in 15th place meaning the American still had 0 points after 4 races.

Crawford qualified 9th for F2's first visit to Albert Park., starting on the reverse front row crawford would challenge Dennis Hauger for the lead but was eventually forced to settle for second place but still it marked not only his first points but his first podium in F2. The feature race however would be a disaster as Crawford would crash out on lap 6 after he was pushed into the gravel at turn 12 by Jack Doohan which caused him to smash into the wall. Crawford qualified 7th in Baku. Crawford ran 3rd at the start but was overtaken by Frederik Vesti and ex F3 teammate Oliver Bearman meaning he ran 5th but he benefitted from the late canarge that saw Dennis Hauger, Victor Martins, Jehan Daruvala, Theo Pourchaire and Jack Doohan retire to finish third behind the safety car which marked his second podium finish in F2. The feature race would be less successful as Crawford would finish 9th but it still marked his first double points weekend in F2.

Crawford qualified 7th for the Monaco. In the sprint Crawford would benefit from his teammate Isack Hadjar retiring with mechanical problems to take his third podium of the season as he finished in third place. Like in Baku the feature race would be less successful for Crawford as he finished in 9th place. Crawford qualified 9th for the Spain round. The sprint however would end in disaster for Crawford as he would collide with Frederik Vesti into turn 1 on the 1st lap with the damage causing him to retire from the race. For the feature race Crawford's strategy wouldn't work and he finished 13th ending a miserable weekend for the American driver.

Needing to bounce back in Austria Crawford qualified 10th meaning he would be on reverse grid pole. In a crazy race where some drivers started on slicks and others on wets, Crawford made the right choice to start on slicks (even though he lost the lead at the start) as he controlled the race after retaking the lead on lap 6 and he crossed the line first to take his maiden win in F2. The feature race wouldn't go as well due to Crawford being caught out by a late safety car that meant he dropped from 5th to 8th place at the flag.

Crawford qualified 15th for the round at Silverstone. The sprint would see Crawford finish 14th., but he bounced back by finishing 10th in the feature race. Crawford qualified 18th in Budapest. Crawford would finish the sprint in 14th place. and followed this up with a 17th place finish in the feature race ending another frustrating weekend for the Hitech driver.

Crawford qualified 12th for the race at Spa. Crawford would finish the sprint race in 14th place., but it would only get worse during the feature race as after running out of the points all race, Crawford would be spun around by Juan Manuel Correa which caused his engine to stall, leading to his retirement which ended a miserable weekend for Crawford. Looking to bounce back from Spa, Crawford took his maiden pole position at Zandvoort. In the sprint Crawford would retire on the 1st lap after contact with Kush Maini caused him to spin across the grass and into the wall at turn 5. Fortunately for Crawford the race was abandoned after the rain didn't clear up meaning Crawford didn't lose anything from his DNF. For the feature race, Crawford lead for the first few laps until he pitted and lost the lead to Zane Maloney, then the safety car came out following Theo Pourchaire's crash which allowed Clement Novalak to take the lead. Crawford would be unable to repass the two in front of him meaning he finished third but he still took his first podium since Monaco.

Crawford qualified 7th for the race at Monza. Crawford would finish the sprint 7th but drop to 13th following a penalty for exceeding track limits. In the feature race Crawford would fight for points until he broke his front wing after contact with Kush Maini on lap 23. Crawford would then retire on lap 27 after Roman Stanek pushed him into the gravel at turn 8 ending what was a horrible weekend for the American driver. Crawford qualified 19th for the season finale in Yas Marina... Crawford would finish the sprint 12th after a good charge up the field. Crawford would finish the feature race in 10th after running on the alternative strategy which ended a tough season the Hitech driver.

Crawford finished 2023, 13th in the drivers championship with 57 points(two ahead of teammate Isack Hadjar). During the season he took 1 win with four more podiums and 1 pole position. He also helped Hitech Pulse-Eight finish eighth in the teams championship. Crawford drove for DAMS in the post season test with him finishing third fastest on day 1.

2024

For the 2024 season, Crawford made the transition to DAMS Lucas Oil.

Crawford started the season by qualifying 10th in Bahrain, giving him reverse grid pole for the sprint. Crawford would take the lead at the start of the sprint but would be overtaken by Zane Maloney on lap 8 and be forced to settle for 2nd place. The feature race however would be a disaster as Crawford would stall in the pits on lap 16 forcing him to retire from the race.

Crawford qualified 3rd for the next round in Jeddah. Crawford would finish the sprint in 5th place. Crawford would then finish the feature race in 4th place marking a good weekend for the American. Crawford crashed in qualifying for the round in Australia forcing him to start in 21st. Crawford would finish the sprint in 9th just missing out on points. Crawford would then finish the feature race in 10th taking a point from weekend that looked over after qualifying.

Crawford qualified 21st for the round in Imola. Crawford would finish the sprint in 14th and the feature race in 7th again taking home some points from a weekend that started so badly. Crawford would qualify 18th for the next round in Monaco. Crawford would finish the sprint in 13th finishing without points. The feature race would go awfully though as Crawford would retire on lap 1 with collision damage after a collision with Kush Maini.

Crawford qualified 2nd for the next round in Barcelona. Crawford would finish the sprint in 4th place taking home some points. The feature race however would go even better as after pitting on lap 8, Crawford would then undercut Paul Aron to take the net race lead. He then moved into the lead when the drivers on the alternative strategy pitted and crossed the line to take his first win of 2024. Crawford left Barcelona sitting 4th in the championship with 62 points, however he was 38 points behind championship leader Paul Aron.

Crawford qualified 14th for the next round in Austria. Crawford would finish the sprint in 6th. Crawford would finish the feature race in 10th ending an average weekend for the American driver. Crawford would qualify 7th for the next round at Silverstone. Crawford would finish the sprint in 6th place. In the feature race Crawford would start well and challenge for the lead but during his pitstop he was released into the path of Zane Maloney which earned him a 5 second time penalty. Crawford would cross the line first but drop behind Isack Hadjar and Maloney meaning he finished the race in third place.

Crawford qualified 22nd for the next round in Hungary. Crawford would charge to 9th place in the sprint just missing out on points. In the feature race however, Crawford would finish in 17th, ending a miserable weekend for the American driver. Crawford qualified 4th for the next round in Belgium. Crawford would finish the sprint in 5th but would only score 1 point due to only 5 laps of racing being completed. Crawford would run in 4th throughout the feature race but would inherit 3rd place when Paul Aron suffered an engine failure on the penultimate lap taking a very unlikely podium.

Crawford qualified 14th for the next round in Monza. Crawford would finish the sprint in 6th place. Crawford would then finish the feature race in 9th, ending an average weekend for the DAMS driver. Crawford qualified 9th for the next round in Baku. Crawford would finish the sprint race in 2nd place taking another podium for his campaign. Crawford would then finish the feature race in 8th place ending another average weekend for the American.

Crawford qualified 6th for the next round in Qatar. Crawford would fight with Victor Martins for third for most of the sprint until he overtook the ART driver on lap 17. He would then inherit 2nd place when Isack Hadjar spun on lap 21, before the race finished behind the safety car allowing Crawford to finish in 2nd to take another podium in 2024. The feature race would go less well as Crawford would retire on lap 13 with suspension damage after a collision with Rafael Villagómez.

Crawford qualified 16th for the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Crawford would finish the sprint in 8th to take a point from that race. The feature race would go awfully though as Crawford would retire on lap 4 with damage after a turn 1 collision at the start of the race, marking a tough final weekend of the season for the DAMS driver.

Crawford finished 2024 5th in the championship with 125 points. During the season he took one win, six podiums and one fastest lap. Crawford drove for DAMS in the post season test, ending the 1st day with the fastest time.

2025

Crawford would remain with DAMS Lucas Oil for the 2025 FIA Formula 2 season. He took pole position for round three in Jeddah, but lost the lead of the feature race to Richard Verschoor in the final lap. Nevertheless, he bounced back in the next round at Imola to take his first win of the season in the sprint race, having passed Ritomo Miyata for the lead on lap one. He won again in Monaco, this time in the feature race; he avoided the large multi-car incident at the start of the race, and took advantage of a well-timed pitstop under safety car to take the lead of the race.

Formula One

In January 2020, Crawford was named as a new signing for the Red Bull Junior Team. He departed the junior squad after four years. Despite that, his involvement in Formula One remained as he signed with the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme for 2024.

On 5 June 2024, Crawford made his debut in a Formula One car for the first time, driving the Aston Martin AMR22 at the Red Bull Ring. He tested the AMR22 again a month later, at the Red Bull Ring. Crawford also drove the AMR24 during the Young Driver Test at the Yas Marina Circuit following the , where he completed 109 laps.

In May 2025, Crawford returned to the wheel of a Formula One car, driving the AMR23 in Zandvoort.

Other racing

Formula E

In May 2024, Andretti Formula E announced Crawford to be taking part in the Berlin rookie test for them. Later that year, Crawford was announced to be the reserve driver for Andretti for the 2024–25 season. He returns to the Formula E cockpit during the Jeddah ePrix for the rookie free practice session.

Karting record

Karting career summary

Complete CIK-FIA Karting European Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Racing record

Racing career summary

Season still in progress.

Complete NACAM Formula 4 Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete U.S. F2000 National Championship results

Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete Italian F4 Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete Euroformula Open Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula Regional Asian Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

Complete Formula Regional Middle East Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete FIA Formula 2 Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)

Season still in progress.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, Jak
2005 births
Living people
Italian F4 Championship drivers
American people of Scotch-Irish descent
ADAC Formula 4 drivers
FIA Formula 3 Championship drivers
Racing drivers from Charlotte, North Carolina
Sportspeople from Conroe, Texas
Van Amersfoort Racing drivers
Motopark Academy drivers
Hitech Grand Prix drivers
Prema Powerteam drivers
Formula Regional Asian Championship drivers
U.S. F2000 National Championship drivers
Euroformula Open Championship drivers
NACAM F4 Championship drivers
FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers
Formula Regional Middle East Championship drivers
DAMS drivers
21st-century American sportsmen