Aston Martin confirm new F1 role for young American star

Aston Martin has confirmed that their F1 driver lineup will be changing a little for 2026.

Felipe Drugovich, the team's reserve driver for the last four seasons, will be replaced in his role by a young Texan star after Drugovich announced his decision to leave.

With his path to F1 seemingly blocked by the stable driver partnership of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, Drugovich has opted to make the move to Formula E, where he will race with Andretti in 2026.

That has left a spot free for a third driver with Aston Martin for the 2026 season, and it has now been confirmed that F2 star Jak Crawford will make the step up to fill that spot.

20-year-old Crawford is a part of the Aston Martin driver academy, and raced in FP1 at the recent Mexican Grand Prix, taking Lance Stroll's seat and finishing 19th.

In an official statement, Crawford said: "I’m incredibly proud to be confirmed as the third driver for 2026. It’s a huge moment in my journey with Aston Martin Aramco and a big motivation to keep learning and contributing.

"Over the past two seasons, I’ve learned so much from being in the Formula 1 environment, both at the factory and trackside. I’ll be doing everything I can to support the team and continue developing as a driver."

Who will race for Aston Martin in 2027?

While both Alonso and Stroll are contracted until the end of the 2026 season, Aston Martin's driver lineup beyond that cannot be predicted with any level of certainty.

Alonso has said that, if they give him a good car in 2026 capable of challenging for podiums, then he may well retire at the end of the season.

The team have been linked with a move for Max Verstappen too, who is likely going to wait to see which team have mastered the regulation changes before making any decisions on his next career move.

But, with all this uncertainty, it is possible that Crawford could have a faster way on to the F1 grid than his predecessor Drugovich.

Team principal Andy Cowell remarked on the signing of Crawford: "It is great to see Jak progress to become our third driver for 2026. Over the past two years, he has shown his value as a key member of our driver squad and built up a valuable bank of experience and test mileage.

"Jak has impressed in the simulator, having completed regular sessions at the AMR technology campus to support our race operations and car development. Jak’s performances in Formula 2 have also been outstanding, and we are excited to continue supporting his growth as he takes on a bigger role."

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