Crawford to replace Stroll for Aston Martin in Mexico City FP1

Jak Crawford will take over Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin for first practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix, the team has confirmed. The outing will be Crawford’s fourth FP1 appearance of the season and will complete Aston Martin’s required rookie sessions for 2026.

The American is due to drive the AMR26 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The announcement came while Crawford was in the paddock for his home race weekend in Austin, where he is supporting the team. His latest opportunity follows earlier appearances, including a previous FP1 outing for Aston Martin.

Mexico City marks a return to Crawford’s FP1 debut circuit

Crawford will return to the venue almost a year after making his Formula 1 practice debut there in 2025. The 21-year-old said the circuit has personal significance and that he is looking forward to bringing the experience gained through track sessions and simulator work into the car.

He also described the timing of the announcement, during his home weekend in Austin, as special. His stated priority for Mexico City is to make the most of the session and provide useful feedback to Aston Martin.

Crawford has continued to build experience through further race-weekend appearances, testing and simulator work. The team has been impressed by his technical feedback and his growing time behind the wheel. His development has been part of a broader push to establish himself as a candidate for a future race seat, explored in our look at Crawford’s ambitions with Aston Martin.

Aston Martin sees another chance to assess Crawford

Chief trackside officer Mike Krack said Aston Martin was pleased to give Crawford another run in the AMR26. Krack noted that the driver returns to Mexico City with more experience than he had on his first FP1 visit, and credited his simulator and testing contributions as valuable to the team.

The session will give Crawford another opportunity to show what he can do while also supporting Aston Martin’s preparations for the race weekend. For the team, it completes its mandatory rookie programme; for Crawford, it is a return to the circuit where his Formula 1 practice appearances began.