Talking Points: Jak Crawford on getting to grips with our 2026 car and the mentality shift fuelling his F2 title challenge
Aston Martin Aramco Young Driver Jak Crawford lifts the lid on the work he's been doing as our team gears up for 2026, assesses the state of play in the FIA Formula 2 Championship battle and reflects on a fine victory at Silverstone last time out.
Life is busy for Aston Martin Aramco Young Driver Jak Crawford as he balances his duties with our team, including helping develop our 2026 Formula One car, with challenging for the F2 title.
Sitting six points off top spot in the F2 championship standings, following victory in the Feature Race at Silverstone, Jak discusses the scintillating run of form that's propelled him into the championship picture, looks ahead to this weekend's action in Belgium, and opens up on his recent work for our team.
Jak, you've been very busy lately. Tell us what you've been up to in your role as an Aston Martin Aramco Young Driver.
"The team is continuing to support my development to help me realise my ambition of securing a full-time race seat in Formula One.
"I've driven the AMR23 at Zandvoort and Monza as part of my development as a driver. Being in a Formula One car is still fairly new to me, but now I'm more confident when I drive one. I've driven all the team's cars from this current era of regulations – bar this year's – and it was insightful to try the same car at two circuits which require very different setups.
"Off the racetrack, I've spent a lot of time in the simulator. I'm helping the continued development of the AMR25 and I've also been working on the 2026 project."
It's been fascinating to see the progress we're making based on our wind tunnel data and the work with Honda.
What can you tell us about the team's work for 2026?
"It's been cool getting to grips with the 2026 models in the simulator and, as you would expect, it's a bit different to the current generation of cars, with new aspects such as active aero to get used to. It's not totally representative of how the car will feel come round one in Australia next year, but it gives us a good idea.
"I've been working on the 2026 car in the sim and there's been a lot of evolution, with both the power unit and the chassis.
"It's been fascinating to see the progress we're making based on our wind tunnel data and the work with Honda – I've never helped develop a power unit before.
"And I've never gone through this level of rule change in Formula One as a driver, so to see things others aren't getting to see and play my part in the project is really exciting. It's a privilege."
You've finished inside the top six in 10 of the last 11 F2 races. How do you reflect on your recent strong form?
"We've had some great results since Saudi Arabia, consistently scoring points and picking up a few wins along the way. There are still areas that we're working on to improve but we've made great strides and I think we're where we should be in the championship now."
Have you done anything specifically to spark this run of results?
"The pace has always been there this season. Every time I've jumped in the car, I've felt I can be competitive, but things weren't coming together at the start of the year, whether through technical issues or things simply not clicking, such as in Bahrain.
"But from Saudi Arabia onwards we've had a mentality change across the entire team at DAMS, focusing more on being consistent rather than pushing too hard and making mistakes.
"It's been about getting everything right, from pitstops to strategy to setup, and in my driving as well. I've tried to be more calculated, not taking risks with overtakes when I don't need to, or taking risks in Qualifying which lead to mistakes. We've tried to polish little bits that make a difference and the culmination of that is very consistent, smooth performances.
"Being with the same team as last year has helped, too. When I changed teams between my first and second season in F2, I was still learning, but now I'm settled in and have last year's experience as a reference point to aid this year so, when challenges come up, I'm much better equipped to deal with them."
Your stunning Feature Race win in the wet at Silverstone was a real highlight of the British Grand Prix weekend. Have you had a chance to process everything from that weekend?
"Silverstone goes down as one of my favourite races this year, not only because I won but because we performed so well in variable conditions. It had been more than a year since I last drove in the wet and you never really know how your speed is going to be; last time we drove in the wet at Silverstone we weren't fast at all!
"I was actually disappointed seeing the rain fall before the race because I knew I was fast in the dry and we were starting third, but it turned out I had the pace to win regardless.
"It was a tough race, conditions were constantly changing and challenging to manage, but the team and I had good communication and everything came together. I hadn't had a wet win before so that was nice to achieve, and it was such an important race to win as well, in terms of it elevating me further in the championship standings as we passed the halfway point of the season."
You're six points off top spot in the F2 standings. How are you approaching this year's title battle?
"Due to the way the rest of the season is scheduled, I'm taking the championship two weekends at a time. We've had Austria and Silverstone, now we've got Spa and Budapest, and then Monza and Baku are quite close together before the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
"It's about not thinking too far ahead and maintaining the consistency we've established. That's what we've discussed as a team. We haven't really been doing anything wrong; there are places we can improve, but it's not a massive improvement we need to make. We don't need to overdo it, because what we're doing is good and consistent, so we're just trying to find little gains to optimise performance further."
Obviously Formula One is on my mind... but I don't feel added pressure this year.
Have you thought much about what the future after this season may hold?
"Of course, I'm racing at a high level in F2 and the aim is to win the championship and stake my claim for a seat in Formula One, but I'm not thinking about that too much. There's still nearly half the season left.
"But, like any racing driver, obviously Formula One is on my mind – it's the end goal – but I don't feel added pressure this year because getting there has been my goal from the beginning of my career. Right now, it's about producing more performances like the one at Silverstone and seeing where that takes me."
The F2 championship heads to Belgium this weekend, and Spa-Francorchamps is a popular circuit with many racing drivers. Do you enjoy driving there?
"It's in my top five racetracks. I think the only reason it's not higher is because a lot of times we go it's raining! I haven't driven Spa in the dry much and you don't get the same sensation of speed there when it's wet.
"Even so, it's still great to drive and a super iconic circuit. And, if it rains, Silverstone has shown that we have the pace in the wet to compete."
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