‘2027 is my best shot to reach F1’

2025 Formula 2 runner-up Jak Crawford says the 2027 season will be his best shot at securing a seat in Formula 1.

A former Red Bull junior, Crawford has been a test driver for Aston Martin for the past two years but has failed to get a chance in the world championship, as the team retained its line-up of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.

The Texan also held talks with Cadillac, but never really stood a chance against veterans Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.

Like many successful youngsters before him, Crawford is therefore embarking on a racing-less season as a reserve driver, still at Aston Martin. He’s hoping to emulate the likes of Oscar Piastri, who spent 2022 on the sidelines after winning the F2 title but was coveted by multiple teams for his F1 debut in 2023 and made a high-profile move from Alpine to McLaren.

“I think ‘27 is, of course, my closest shot,” Crawford said at last year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. “I’ll be hopefully still relevant then, after only a year out racing in F2, ending that well, and being in the paddock at all the races next year. I feel like it’s good to be around the paddock, it keeps your name on people’s mouths, people see you. So I think ‘27 is my best opportunity for a race seat.”

However, not every third driver has gone on to race in Formula 1, far from it – as shown by former Aston Martin reserve Felipe Drugovich, who recently departed the team to make a full-time switch to Formula E, after biding his time in that role for three years.

“Of course, there’s always a bit of worry that you can’t get a seat in Formula 1 because it’s everyone’s dream,” Crawford admitted. “All the drivers that are here being reserve drivers, they all want to race full-time in F1. So, of course, you’re not there yet, so you’re still trying to work for that, and you also have to earn it, of course.

“I’m not worried. I feel like if I do a good job in my role, then there will be opportunities in the future.”

As far as the lack of a racing programme is concerned, Crawford is adamant that this won’t hurt his prospects in the long run – particularly as he has already completed many F1 tests at Aston, with more on the table this year.

“I don’t have to also focus on Formula 2 and Formula E, which I’ve done a bit this year,” the former Andretti Formula E reserve driver pointed out. “Full focus [is] on the F1 programme, so it’ll be good to be fully focused on that, and I think that prepares me the best.

“I feel like I’m at a good level, especially in my racing, so that anything after that I just need to kind of learn and be around the Formula 1 team – and I feel like anything I need to learn in Formula 1, besides obviously racing in Formula 1, I can do with track time, with simulator time, with being at the races.”

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– The Autosport.com Team