Jack Crawford: I would gladly race.

      American driver Jack Crawford became the vice-champion of the Formula 2 youth series last year, finishing second only to Leonardo Fornaroli, obtained a super license, and in 2026 is collaborating with Aston Martin F1 as a reserve driver.

      In May, he turned 21, is actively working with the team from Silverstone, spends a lot of time training on the simulator, but also pilots the real AMR26 car during practice and participates in Pirelli tire tests. However, Jack is no longer competing in races...

      "Sometimes I get a bit of a strange feeling when early on a Sunday morning I watch F3 and F2 and think about how I would conduct those races if I were participating," Crawford shared in an interview with Racer. "I recall my previous experience at various tracks, where sometimes I performed well, sometimes not so well. I definitely miss all of that now.

      At the same time, I am constantly busy with something. I don't want to say that I miss racing, but I thought it would be much worse in that regard. I am very busy working on the simulator, and actually spend a lot of time behind the wheel, and that's great. I'm really happy to help our team develop and all that, so it's also a kind of interesting challenge."

      However, it cannot be said that Jack has not participated in races at all: a couple of times this year he took part in 24-hour karting marathons. Although, of course, he is mainly occupied with working with the team, he has already completed three Friday practice sessions, and at the end of July, he piloted the Aston Martin car during Pirelli tire tests held at the Hungaroring.

      Still, he admits that maintaining good racing form is not easy: "It's all quite tough. In the past, we've seen that other drivers who performed excellently in F2 quickly lost their form afterward. But above all, I think it's very important that the team needs my services at every race weekend; I'm present at all the races, and Aston Martin wants me to help them. Of course, as a reserve driver, I always have to be ready to get behind the wheel, and that also helps.

      I've already participated in three practice sessions, although, of course, since our car wasn't particularly fast, there wasn't much attention on me. I think my best result was 20th place, which isn't exactly headline news. Nevertheless, I feel that I drove pretty well, and knowledgeable people saw that.

      The team needs me to accomplish several tasks. First of all, of course, the car must remain intact. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll trust me to drive their cars – in general, everyone in the team trusts me when I get behind the wheel. Everyone is very happy when I have the opportunity to drive the AMR26, if only because the team gets more information.

      Moreover, the team wants me to be ready to get behind the wheel at any moment, so they try to give me that opportunity as often as possible, and I quickly gain the necessary speed. This is very important for them... Of course, in terms of improving professional skills, it's useful to work on the simulator, and I try to be as effective as possible during these sessions."

      At the same time, of course, Crawford does not hide that he would like to return to racing: "I try to keep track of what options might arise. If a vacancy opened up in Formula 1, of course, I would gladly race. At the same time, I am satisfied with my work at Aston Martin. Certainly, if it ends up that I remain a reserve driver next year, I will happily continue this work. Although, of course, if a spot opened up in the team, that would be even better.

      Perhaps I will try to find an opportunity to race in some other series while continuing to fulfill the duties of a third driver. That would be great, and I would like to find such an option. It's important to start building relationships for the future because if I can't become a prize-winning driver in Formula 1, I will need to race somewhere else.

      I really like IndyCar; interest in this series is growing right now, and that's good. I like it primarily because many races take place on city and road circuits. I also like ovals, but that's not what is currently beneficial for my development. Although, of course, I am also interested in sports car racing, such as championships like WEC, IMSA, etc. There are many different series, including Formula E, which is transitioning to new generation cars. In general, I have diverse interests."