Jak Crawford was reportedly under consideration for a seat at Cadillac for the 2026 Formula 1 season, well before the 2025 season even started; rumors initially emerged in 2024.
Though missing out to veteran drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, both of whom are currently out of the sport, is an understandable blow for the American driver, all hope is not lost for him yet.
In his third season of Formula 2, the 20-year-old has cemented himself as one of the best up-and-coming drivers. After being without any points until the feature race in Jeddah, Crawford has put on an incredible level of consistency.
As a championship contender, he is clearly putting F1 teams on notice, and he could amplify that further as he looks to steal the title from Leonardo Fornaroli over the final four race weekends of the year. Though 2026 now seems unlikely for Crawford to land an F1 ride, his focus will have definitely shifted to 2027 after the Cadillac confirmation.
2027 may be Crawford’s time
Depending on contract situations and potential extensions, quite a few realistic options could open up for Crawford at some midfield teams. Teams such as Haas, Alpine, and Audi all may have open seats, depending on Ollie Bearman, Franco Colapinto, and Nico Hulkenberg, respectively.
Crawford will likely conclude his time in F2 after the end of the 2025 season and transition into a full-time reserve role with Aston Martin. However, they do not seem particularly keen on promoting their own junior drivers, as Felipe Drugovich has been on the sidelines for multiple seasons now.
Odds are, Lawrence Stroll would not hesitate too much at the thought of Crawford departing the team. In terms of rookies on teams' radars heading into 2027, he appears to be second in the pecking order behind Alex Dunne.
The one way Crawford can make himself stand out would be by putting in all of his effort into a reserve role. Putting in simulator work and taking advantage of testing and free practice sessions would be huge, as the cars will be quite different from next season onwards.
Missing out on a seat at Cadillac is certainly a setback for Jak Crawford, but a path still exists for an eventual breakthrough into Formula 1.