Aston Martin F1 News: Driver in SHOCK team switch

Aston Martin

Aston Martin driver in SHOCK team switch

An Aston Martin racer has made a shock racing switch

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 23 December 2024 17:59 Updated: 20:38

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An Aston Martin racing star has made their first steps towards a new motorsport series, as a team switch has been revealed.

The Formula 1 team owned by Lawrence Stroll suffered a poor 2024 season, with neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll getting themselves onto the podium, despite securing eight top-three finishes in 2023.

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Aston Martin eventually finished the season down in fifth in the constructors' championship, over 350 points behind fourth-placed Mercedes.

Despite their disappointing year on track, there is some optimism around the team, with Alonso signing a new contract in 2024 and design legend Adrian Newey signing with the team from the 2025 season onwards.

Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso struggled in 2024 with Aston Martin

Aston Martin driver in shock career twist

A number of Aston Martin junior drivers have impressed in recent years too, with Felipe Drugovich winning the 2022 F2 championship, Jak Crawford picking up one victory and six podiums in F2 in 2024, and Tina Hausmann beginning her F1 Academy career whilst backed by Stroll's outfit.

Now, Jessica Hawkins, another of the team's talents, has been helping Hausmann in her role as driver ambassador with the Silverstone-based team and has also taken her first steps into the American racing series NASCAR.

Hawkins became the first female racer to complete a test in an F1 car for over five years back in 2023, and has since been appointed to the role of head of F1 Academy at Aston Martin.

Now, a NASCAR audition has been revealed, with the Brit taking part in an Aston Martin visit to Hendrick Motorsport at Charlotte Motor Speedway back in October.

Jessica Hawkins took part in a NASCAR test alongside Jeff Gordon

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon helped Hawkins become acclimatised with the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a trip to the simulator, before the Brit took the car to the track in a first taste of a NASCAR test.

In quotes reported by Motorsport.com, Hawkins revealed her joy at the brief series switch: "I felt that it was very similar, it helped me out a lot especially with the braking zones and knowing what gear to be in and knowing which way the circuit went," the former W Series racer said.

"Obviously it was an adjustment, but I quite enjoyed it."