Overview
- Crawford, 20, will drive Fernando Alonso’s AMR26 in opening practice at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
- The run counts toward Formula 1’s rookie-practice requirement, and it is reported as Aston Martin’s first such session of 2026 and the first by any team this season.
- Chief trackside officer Mike Krack framed the outing as valuable for Crawford’s progression and for gathering useful feedback for the car.
- Crawford has two prior FP1 appearances with Aston Martin, more than 3,000 kilometres of testing, and extensive simulator work, though Suzuka will be new to him.
- The timing follows a difficult start for Aston Martin, with reliability problems and pronounced AMR26 vibrations; neither Alonso nor Lance Stroll has been classified in the first two races, and Alonso retired in China due to excessive vibration.