Jak Crawford has completed his maiden Formula 1 testing appearance with Aston Martin in the team’s 2022 car at the Red Bull Ring, home to the Austrian Grand Prix.
The American, 19, was signed to Aston Martin’s Young Driver Development programme over the winter and he was granted the chance to sample the squad’s AMR22.
Crawford sustained an uninterrupted run schedule and logged more than 400km under his belt as he completed both short runs and long runs, according to the team.
“A big thank you to everyone at Aston Martin Aramco who has helped to make this happen and for their support at the test,” Crawford said.
“My first day in an F1 car was a great experience and I enjoyed every lap.
“It was a clean and smooth day for us with no issues and we completed all the running that we wanted to.
“The main goal for me was to get up to speed and get used to the systems of the car.
“It was a learning process for me and in the end, it was nothing like I’ve ever driven before, especially in the high-speed sections.
“I feel like I adapted quite well and I’m excited for the next one.”
Crawford will now continue to attend sporadic race events with the Silverstone-based squad this season along with continuing his sophomore campaign in Formula 2.
Robert Sattler, Aston Martin Team Evolution Programme Director, added: “It is always a special moment seeing a young driver complete their first laps in a Formula One car.
“After a full day of running Jak has gained some valuable experience that he can take forward into his other tests in the programme.
“We know that the switch in driving style between F2 to F1 is not easy, but Jak adapted to the car quickly and he worked well with the team to improve as the day progressed.”
Elsewhere, Mercedes has continued Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s previous car testing programme as the Italian drove the marque’s 2022 charger, the W13, in Barcelona.
