HOUSTON (1 March 2023) – American Formula 1 hopeful Jak Crawford will take another giant step up major open-wheel racing’s ladder in 2023, when he competes fulltime in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
The Texan – who turns 18 in May – returns as a member of the Red Bull Junior team, driving in this weekend’s season opener at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. The campaign consists of 14 two-race weekends, all run in conjunction with Formula 1.
“I’m excited for my first race in F2,” Crawford said. “It’s going to be a long season, but I think it will be really fun to have my debut at Bahrain. It’s a super-interesting track and we’ve already done test days, so I think I’ll be quite up to speed.”
F2 competition consists of 22 identical Dallara chassis powered by turbocharged 3.4L V6 engines. Weekends consist of practice and qualifying on Friday, with a 120-kilometer sprint race on Saturday followed by a 170-kilometer feature race on Sunday. Qualifying sets the grid for the Sunday race, with the top-10 qualifiers inverted for the sprint round.
“To be honest, I don’t have any expectations,” Crawford said going into the season opener. “I just want to make the most of the car and my driving ability, especially for the first race weekend, since we don’t really know where we are with speed and everything, but I do think we’re quick. I don’t have any expectations, that would be putting a lot of pressure on myself.”
Crawford finished the 2022 F3 season seventh in the points, winning the sprint race at Red Bull Ring among five podium finishes. Now, he’s ready for the next step, Formula 2.
“There are quite a few differences in F2 [from F3],” Crawford explained. “The field is a lot stronger, talent-wise, with a lot of very good drivers. It’s a bigger car, with more power, more weight, and longer races. It will be a bit more tiring, and you have to keep your focus, as well. It’s a bit of everything.”
Crawford caught the attention of the open-wheel world when he ran double-duty in 2021. The youngest driver in F3, he placed second in his debut at Spa Francorchamps. He also ran in Euroformula Open, placing third in the championship with eight victories in 16 starts despite running a select schedule when his F3 season allowed.
Following Bahrain, F2 races at Jeddah March 18-19; Melbourne April 1-2; Baku April 29-30; Imola May 20-21; Monte Carlo May 27-28; Barcelona June 2-3; Red Bull Ring July 1-2; Silverstone July 8-9; Hungaroring July 22-23; Spa July 29-30; Zandvoort August 26-27; Monza Sept. 2-3; and Abu Dhabi Nov. 25-26.
