Aston Martin Confirms Jak Crawford to Replace Lance Stroll in Austria FP1

Aston Martin has confirmed American prospect Jak Crawford will replace Lance Stroll for the opening practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix. The outing secures Crawford's fourth FP1 appearance for the team and ticks off another mandatory young-driver session for the Silverstone squad in 2026.

Why it matters:

F1 regulations require each full-time driver to hand their car over for two FP1 sessions to a rookie with fewer than two Grand Prix starts. By running Crawford in Stroll's AMR26 at the Red Bull Ring, Aston Martin completes the second of its four mandatory slots for the season. The session also gives the team a live race-weekend look at a developing talent while gathering extra data to cross-reference against its established race drivers.

The details:

• Crawford's CV: The American previously drove for Aston Martin in the 2025 Mexico City and Abu Dhabi finales before making his 2026 FP1 debut in Japan, where he replaced Fernando Alonso.
• Regulatory obligations: Both Alonso and Stroll must each sit out two FP1 sessions for young drivers. After Austria, Stroll will have one remaining mandatory outing, while Alonso still needs to vacate his seat once more.
• Added preparation: Crawford recently logged extra mileage in the AMR26 during a Pirelli tyre test in Barcelona this week, sharpening his understanding of the current car ahead of Spielberg.

What's next:

Aston Martin must still schedule one additional FP1 appearance each for Alonso and Stroll later this season to satisfy the rules. Crawford will look to translate his accumulated simulator work and fresh Barcelona track time into another clean session at a circuit he already knows well. The team continues to treat the American as a long-term investment, with every race-weekend outing serving as another audition for a potential full-time seat on the grid.