MEXICO CITY — Two of motorsport's brightest young drivers will get their moment on Formula 1's biggest stage next week: American Jak Crawford will drive Lance Stroll's Aston Martin in first practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix, while British teenager Freddie Slater will make his Formula 1 race-weekend debut with Audi in the same session.
The announcements, made during the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, set up a fascinating Friday morning on October 30 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. For Crawford, it is a homecoming of sorts and the completion of a season-long rookie programme. For Slater, it is the first step on a ladder that has already taken him from junior formulae to the doorstep of Formula 1 — with a Formula 2 seat waiting in 2027.
Illustration: A Formula 1 car racing through the stadium section of the Mexico City circuit.
What Happened
Aston Martin confirmed that third driver Jak Crawford will take over Lance Stroll's AMR26 for first practice (FP1) at the Mexico City Grand Prix, which runs from October 30 to November 1, 2026. It will be Crawford's fourth FP1 appearance of the season, following outings in Japan, Austria and Belgium, and it completes the team's four mandated rookie practice sessions for 2026.
Crawford, 21, was born in Houston and joined Aston Martin's driver development programme in 2024. Mexico City is a special circuit for him: it hosted his Formula 1 practice debut in 2025, and he returns with a season of extra experience. “I'm really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the AMR26 in Mexico City,” Crawford said in the team's announcement. “It's a special circuit for me as it's where I made my FP1 debut last year, so it's great to return with more experience under my belt. I've learned a lot through my time on track and in the simulator this season, and I'm looking forward to putting that into practice.”
Separately, Audi confirmed that development driver Freddie Slater will make his first Formula 1 race-weekend appearances in FP1 at Mexico City, followed by another FP1 outing in São Paulo. Slater, 18, finished runner-up in this year's Formula 3 championship with Trident and became the first driver signed to Audi's development programme earlier in 2026. He will move to Formula 2 with Invicta Racing in 2027.
Speaking in the Friday press conference at Austin, Audi racing director Allan McNish said the opportunity reflected more than results alone. “It's pretty clear he's got talent. It's pretty clear that he's got the attitude and the work ethic to do it,” McNish said, while stressing a measured approach: Slater must learn the car while doing useful work for the team, rather than treating an hour of practice as a qualifying audition.
Background
Formula 1's rookie practice rules exist to force teams to give young drivers real race-weekend mileage. A Friday practice hour is a world away from a test day: the track is evolving, the programme is compressed, and every lap must produce data the race engineers can use when the regular drivers take over.
Crawford's path shows how that system works in practice. Since concluding his third Formula 2 campaign last year, the American has combined race-weekend running with extensive testing and simulator work. Aston Martin's chief trackside officer Mike Krack said Crawford's simulator and testing contributions had been valuable, and that the Mexico City session would let him demonstrate his progress while supporting the team's preparations. Stroll will return to the car for the remaining Mexico City sessions.
Slater's route has been faster. Still a teenager, he arrives in Formula 1's paddock as a development driver learning the rhythms of a Grand Prix weekend — briefings, debriefs, media duties and the unforgiving precision of a practice programme — before his Formula 2 campaign begins. The Mexico City and São Paulo sessions are explicitly presented as experience-building, not as an announcement of a Formula 1 race seat.
Illustration: A young driver preparing in the cockpit before a practice session.
Why It Matters
For fans, rookie FP1 sessions are a glimpse of the sport's future. The drivers who impress in these low-profile hours — clean programmes, clear feedback, no mistakes — are the ones teams remember when race seats open. Crawford has spent a season building that case; Slater is starting to build his.
For the teams, the sessions are genuinely useful. Mexico City's circuit, more than 2,000 metres above sea level, punishes cars with thin air that saps downforce and strains cooling, and its famous stadium section packs fans around the track in a baseball-stadium bowl. A rookie who can run a disciplined programme in those conditions gives engineers comparable data at a circuit where set-up is notoriously tricky.
There is also a wider story about Formula 1's changing landscape. Audi is building its programme toward a full works presence, and investing in a development ladder — signing young drivers early, giving them structured weekend experience — is part of that project. Aston Martin, meanwhile, is using its rookie allocation to develop a driver who already knows the team, the simulator and the car.
What Happens Next
The immediate test comes on Friday, October 30, when both drivers take to the track for FP1 in Mexico City. Crawford's job, as his team frames it, is straightforward: complete the programme, avoid the walls and deliver feedback the engineers can use. Stroll then retakes the car for the rest of the weekend, with qualifying on Saturday, October 31, and the race on Sunday, November 1.
Slater's journey continues to São Paulo for a second FP1 appearance, and then to Formula 2 in 2027 with Invicta Racing — the series where most modern Formula 1 drivers prove they are ready for the step up. Whether either driver converts this autumn's practice mileage into a race seat will depend on results, timing and opportunity, but both have now been given the same thing every young driver wants: a chance to be judged in a real Formula 1 car, on a real Grand Prix weekend.
Illustration: Engineers studying practice data that rookie drivers help to gather.
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FAQ
Who is driving in FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix?
Jak Crawford will drive Lance Stroll's Aston Martin, and Freddie Slater will drive for Audi. Both sessions take place in first practice on Friday, October 30, 2026.
Is this Crawford's first Formula 1 appearance?
No. It is his fourth FP1 appearance of the 2026 season, after Japan, Austria and Belgium, and his second at Mexico City, where he made his practice debut in 2025. The session completes Aston Martin's four mandated rookie sessions for the year.
Is Slater getting a Formula 1 race seat?
No. Audi presents the Mexico City and São Paulo FP1 outings as development experience. Slater moves to Formula 2 with Invicta Racing in 2027.
When is the Mexico City Grand Prix?
The race weekend runs from October 30 to November 1, 2026, at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with qualifying on Saturday, October 31, and the race on Sunday, November 1.
Why does Mexico City challenge drivers and cars?
The circuit sits more than 2,000 metres above sea level, where thin air reduces downforce and strains cooling, making set-up and tyre management unusually demanding.
Sources
- Formula1.com, “Jak Crawford set for 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix FP1 outing with Aston Martin,” October 2026.
- Grandprix.com, “Crawford replaces Stroll in Mexico City practice,” October 24, 2026.
- Grandprix.com, “Slater gets Audi FP1 debut in Mexico City and Sao Paulo,” October 24, 2026.
- RacingNews365, “Aston Martin confirm Mexico City first practice driver replacement,” October 2026.
- AutoRacing1, “F1 News: Jak Crawford to drive in FP1 at Mexico City Grand Prix,” October 22, 2026.
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