Jak Crawford at the wheel of the Aston Martin during post-season testing

Jak Crawford, Aston Martin’s development driver, will have the opportunity to drive the AMR24 for the first time during the post-season tests for young drivers in Abu Dhabi.

Although he had already had the opportunity to drive the 2022 car earlier this year as part of the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program, he has not yet had the chance to take the wheel of this season’s car.

Originally, there was talk of adding a sprint race for rookies in 2024, which caused some complications for the American driver. Felipe Drugovich, reserve driver for Aston Martin, was considered the logical candidate for this race. It was even considered that the two drivers would split the day, with Crawford for the tests and Drugovich for the qualifying session and the sprint race.

The idea of a race for rookies having finally been abandoned, the standard test program will proceed as planned and Crawford will be able to drive all day.

Currently fifth in the F2 championship standings, Crawford is already familiar with the Aston Martin ecosystem and is confident about approaching his tests: “I have spent many hours on the simulator at the AMR Technology Campus, and I will continue to do so before the test to make sure I am well prepared. Yas Marina is a circuit I know well, so I hope that will help me get up to speed quickly. I would like to warmly thank the entire Aston Martin team for giving me the opportunity to drive this year’s car during the tests.”

On his side, the team director, Mike Krack, expressed his confidence in Crawford: « He has already shown a high level of understanding during the previous tests with us this year, and I know he will work hard in preparation for the test while participating in the final two rounds of the F2 championship. »

This test is an opportunity for Crawford to showcase his talent and prove that he deserves a place in the premier category.