Jak Crawford set for second Aston Martin FP1 run in Austria
NXTbets Pro | Published On: June 22, 2026
Crawford at Austria
Aston Martin third driver Jak Crawford will get another run in Free Practice 1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, adding a fresh piece to a 2026 program that already has him in the team’s plans for regular Friday work. The appearance gives Crawford his second FP1 outing of the season and his fourth overall for Aston Martin, with Lance Stroll set to step aside and let the American take the AMR26 in the opening session at the Red Bull Ring.
The assignment keeps Crawford in the team’s evaluation cycle and gives Aston Martin another chance to measure his progress in a live Grand Prix setting. The team has already used him once this year in FP1 at Suzuka, so the Austria run extends a pattern that lets Aston Martin assess how he handles different circuits, different demands and different conditions across the calendar. FP1 roles carry extra value for a third driver because they place the driver into a race weekend environment with real track traffic, setup work and session pressure. For Crawford, that means another direct comparison against the team’s established race lineup while he works inside the AMR26 program. It also means another chance for Aston Martin to gather data from a driver who is part of its wider development structure and not just a one-off guest in the cockpit.
Aston Martin rookie plan
The Austrian Grand Prix session is Aston Martin’s second of four mandatory rookie practice sessions required in 2026, so the run serves a broader team purpose beyond Crawford’s own development. Those sessions are part of the team’s seasonal workload, and Aston Martin has chosen to use Crawford again in one of those slots after already handing him FP1 mileage earlier in the year. That keeps the team on track with its obligations while also giving it a known quantity in the car. Crawford has already been through an Aston Martin FP1 program once in Japan, and this second chance gives the team another clean comparison point on a different type of circuit and in a different race-weekend setting.
The timing also fits into a compact stretch of preparation for Crawford. He completed a Pirelli tyre test with Aston Martin in Barcelona this week before heading to Austria, which adds another layer of seat time and another chance for the team to collect feedback on tyre behavior and car response. That test work can feed into the broader picture Aston Martin is building around its reserve and development drivers, and it gives Crawford a useful bridge between private testing and a Grand Prix practice session. Mike Krack, Aston Martin’s trackside officer, said the run will help the team evaluate Crawford’s development and collect useful data. That frames the session as a practical assessment, with the team looking for feedback that can inform both the driver’s progress and the car’s direction. For Aston Martin, the value lies in pairing its rookie-session commitment with a driver already embedded in its system.
Crawford and Red Bull Ring
Crawford arrives in Austria with a track he knows well. He has prior circuit experience at the Red Bull Ring from Formula 2 and Formula 3, which gives him a clear advantage when he climbs into the AMR26 for FP1. Familiarity with the layout can shorten the adjustment period, leaving more room to focus on the details Aston Martin wants from the session, such as feedback on grip, balance and tyre behavior. That background matters because FP1 time is limited, and teams place a premium on drivers who can get up to speed quickly and deliver clean information without a long learning curve. Crawford’s past laps at the circuit should help him settle in and make the most of the opportunity.
Crawford said he knows the Austrian circuit well and hopes to provide valuable feedback during the session, which fits the job description for a rookie or reserve practice run. The team wants usable data, and the driver wants a clean, productive outing that strengthens his case for more mileage in the future. For Crawford, another FP1 appearance keeps his name active inside Aston Martin’s development plan and adds to a season that already includes a Japan run and the Barcelona tyre test. For the team, it is another measured step in a season where rookie practice obligations and driver development overlap. The Red Bull Ring gives both sides a familiar setting for that work, and the session will show how Crawford translates prior experience into immediate value in Aston Martin machinery.
