F1 simulators are very accurate, says Crawford as he reflects on his first F1 outing

"It's incredible how fast it is". That is how Aston Martin junior driver Jak Crawford commented on the performance of a Formula One car as he opened up after completing his first F1 test

Formula 2 driver Jak Crawford completed his first F1 outing with Aston Martin ahead of the Canadian Grand Priy when he got behind the wheel of the two-year-old AMR22 at the Red Bull ring.

The North Carolina born racer completed more than 400km of running at the Red Bull Ring, the home of the Austrian Grand Prix, marking his debut run for Aston Martin Aramco.

The 19-year-old American racer enjoyed good weather in the Styrian hills throughout the day which made for uninterrupted track time, allowing Crawford the opportunity to complete a variety of short and long runs to understand the car and tyres more.

Expanding on his first outing, Crawford said: "It was a very cool experience to drive a Formula One car for the first time.

"I was a bit nervous going into it but as soon as I got out on track, that all went away. I enjoyed every single lap out there and after my first run, I had a big, big smile on my face.

"It was a very positive day. Usually on a test day, you go through things that you maybe don't like, but there wasn't a single part that I didn't enjoy. It was just such a cool experience.

"I got to drive one of the fastest cars in the world for Aston Martin – one of the most iconic brands in the world. It's quite an honour. Very few people get to do it and it ranks as one of the biggest milestones in my career."

"The three biggest things to contend with were the braking, the torque and throttle application, and the downforce. The braking performance was incredible, hence the sore neck the next day, but you get used to stopping power and g-force pretty quickly.

"Then you have to get a grip on how much power you have under your right foot when you put the throttle down. I definitely had some moments where I learned the hard way how powerful it was!

"The biggest difference is the downforce in the high-speed corners. You feel like you're at the limit of grip but there's always more there – you always feel you can find more.

Crawford added that he has made slight changes to his training programme in the past months to prepare his neck ahead of his first F1 outing.

"Over the past few months, I've been training my neck a bit more. Nothing crazy, just one extra time per week. I felt physically well prepared for it and for the most part my body held up well.

"The back of my neck was a bit sore when I woke up on Thursday morning from the g-forces under braking, but other than that I felt good!"

Formula 1 drivers can often be heard talking about simulator work during Grand Prix weekends. Crawford has also spent much time in the simulator in 2024, and he opened up on how well the real and virtual worlds are correlated.

"It was really close in comparison. I've driven in the sim a lot this year, but I've not been able to compare it to a real F1 car until now. You never really know how it's going to compare so your expectations are always quite low going to the track, but now I know I can trust it because it's so lifelike. The sim is very accurate."

Crawford explained that the main challenge was for him to build up his confidence during his first day behind the wheel of an F1 machinery.

"It's incredible how fast an F1 car is through the corners, but once you've done the corner, you always think you could have been quicker. It's all part of the process though: building confidence over time and getting faster gradually.

"The more confident you get, the more you push, and the more the car grips, giving you even more confidence. It’s a snowball effect. You’re just trying to stay cool and settle in over the first few laps but eventually you've got to push the limits.

"You almost have to take a stab in the dark in terms of what you think the car is capable of when you're first in it, then you work on that step by step until you find the limit. That's how you build confidence, by doing that and not making any mistakes. In the end, I was comfortable in the car and I got used to the high-speed stuff quite quickly."

Expanding on the complexity of an F1 car, Crawford said: "We experimented with different settings, for example with the front wing angles, just to see the changes from run to run and to see how the car reacted. We tried a lot of different things just to get a baseline feeling and now when I get to the next test, I'll know what I want a bit more from the car.

"There's also a lot more you can change in terms of settings on the steering wheel and over a lap compared to other racing cars I've driven. For example, there are about two or three things you can change from the steering wheel in an F2 car, which is throttle map, clutch - which you'll only change at the start - and the brake bias, which is the only thing you'll change during a lap.

"In F1, there are loads of buttons and throughout the lap you're using them to maximise each corner. It's amazing how intricate it is.

"I really enjoyed getting into the technical side of things with engineers and mechanics and working so closely with them. I learnt a huge amount and was made to feel really welcome by everyone in the garage."

Crawford disclosed that his father also attended his first outing in an F1 car: "My dad was with me at the test, too. He's been with me every step of the way, he's the biggest figure in my racing career, so it was very cool to have him there and enjoy the moment with me.

"He was able to watch everything and have a radio on so he could listen to messages and be fully immersed in the day. He's watched me from karting all the way up to this. It's something very few people will get to experience so it was a special moment."

Crawford currently competes in Formula 2. The American has scored 32 points so far over the course of the opening ten races, and sits 11th in the drivers' standings. His best result was a second-placed finish from the first race in Bahrain.

Explaining how his F1 outing can help him in Formula 2, the American said: "It gives me more confidence. I was able to perform well and the feedback from the team has been really positive and encouraging.

"Even though an F1 car is very different to an F2 car, you still learn things behind the wheel that can be transferred to F2, or any other category, should a similar situation arise. I haven't driven an F2 car yet since the test, so I'd imagine it will feel a hell of a lot slower. I'm going to feel like a snail coming back in!"