Aston Martin have confirmed that third driver Jak Crawford will take another Free Practice 1 outing at the Belgian Grand Prix, stepping into the AMR26 in place of Fernando Alonso.
According to a fresh update from Formula1.com, the American will use the Spa-Francorchamps session to complete his third rookie practice run of the four each team must fulfil this season, having previously driven Alonso’s car in Japan and covered for Lance Stroll during a Free Practice 1 run at the Austrian Grand Prix last month.
Fernando Alonso Steps Aside Again As Aston Martin Build Out Crawford’s Programme
Alonso will hand over the AMR26 for the session, continuing a pattern that has repeatedly put Crawford in front of Aston Martin’s engineers this year. The team has also lined up reserve driver Victor Martins for trackside duties in Belgium, though Martins will not get a session behind the wheel, with his last FP1 appearance dating back to the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix.
Crawford arrives with recent track time already banked, having driven the AMR25 up the hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and taken part in a Pirelli tyre test in Barcelona in June. The 21-year-old finished runner-up in the 2025 Formula 2 championship with four wins and eight podiums for DAMS Lucas Oil.
With Alonso’s long-term future at the team still under scrutiny heading into 2027, Crawford’s growing FP1 workload keeps him firmly in the frame should Aston Martin need a ready-made option on their books.
