Aston Martin sets Jak Crawford for Stroll’s AMR26 in Mexico City FP1
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 23, 2026
Crawford in Mexico
Aston Martin will give Crawford another Formula 1 practice run when he steps into Stroll’s AMR26 for first practice. The outing marks Crawford’s fourth on-track appearance of the season and completes the team’s mandated rookie practice sessions for the year. It also extends a run that has already taken him through first practice in Japan, Austria and Belgium, where he logged his best result with a P20 at the Red Bull Ring. Crawford now has a clear role in Aston Martin’s program as the team’s third driver, and the session gives him one more chance to add mileage in a live grand prix weekend while the team uses the slot to satisfy the FIA young-driver requirements that shape these sessions. The move also keeps Stroll’s car in the hands of a driver the team has already relied on for valuable practice work across the season. The event carries extra meaning for Crawford because it is the place where he made his first practice debut last year, and this next run gives him a return to a circuit that has already become part of his Formula 1 path.
Krack on Crawford
Aston Martin trackside officer Mike Krack has pointed to Crawford’s simulator work and testing as a real part of the team’s preparation, and the session gives that support another outlet. Krack said Crawford’s contributions away from the race seat have been valuable, and the practice run will help the team sharpen its weekend preparation as Formula 1 moves through a triple-header stretch. That matters for a team balancing development work with the demands of a packed schedule. Crawford has said he is eager to build on the experience he has gained through track time, simulator work and testing, and this appearance fits that theme. The practice sessions are meant to give both drivers more mileage and experience under FIA young-driver regulations, and Aston Martin’s final mandated rookie outing of the year gives the team one more opportunity to turn that rule into useful learning. In that sense, the session is about more than a single run in first practice. It is another checkpoint in a season-long process that has tied together development work, seat time and the team’s broader race-weekend preparation.
Slater for Audi
Freddie Slater will also enter the grand prix weekend spotlight, with the 18-year-old set to make his debut in a Grand Prix weekend for Audi. He will drive the Audi R26 at both the Mexico City Grand Prix and the São Paulo Grand Prix, adding his name to another rookie program in the same Formula 1 stretch. His age makes the step even more notable, but the emphasis remains on the racing opportunity itself. The combination of Crawford’s work for Aston Martin and Slater’s step with Audi shows how teams are using the current run of events to support their driver programs.
