Klaus Weber · DTM-Korrespondent
With 124 laps in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, the Formula 1 reserve driver completed his GT3 debut at Hockenheim as part of Comtoyou Racing's driver evaluation for the 2027 DTM season.
Jak Crawford, reserve and development driver for Aston Martin Aramco in Formula 1, has completed his first-ever laps in a GT3 car at the Hockenheimring. The 21-year-old piloted the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo for Belgian team Comtoyou Racing, taking the place of regular drivers Nicki Thiim and Nicolas Baert. According to Comtoyou's DTM program leader Mario Schuhbauer, the test is part of a potential deal to bring Crawford into the DTM for the 2027 season.
124 Laps as a Fitness Test
Assessing a GT3 debut based on a comprehensive test program is more technically revealing than a short shakedown run. Crawford logged 124 laps total during his test day at Hockenheim, equivalent to several full race distances depending on driving style and pit stop strategy. For a car he'd never driven before, that's a workload that allows for assessment of tire management, brake balance adjustments, and setup feedback over a race distance, not just qualifying-trim lap times.
Comtoyou's decision to sacrifice the cockpits of established drivers Thiim and Baert underlines the weight the team places on the test. A GT3 car operating under balance-of-performance regulations behaves fundamentally differently in transients and tire degradation than a single-seater, and 124 laps gives a newcomer plenty of opportunity to adapt.
From Formula 2 Vice Champion to GT3 Rookie
Crawford is no newcomer to the formula ladder. The former Red Bull junior claimed the Formula 2 vice championship in 2025 and has since been tied to Aston Martin Aramco as a reserve driver in Formula 1. In that role, he spends much of his time at Formula 1 weekends without regular cockpit time, because the number of available full-time seats in the top category is severely limited.
For talents in that position, GT3 series like the DTM offer an obvious platform to stay active in racing and continue developing competitively. Switching from formula-style single-seaters to GT3 cars with driver aids, higher weight, and different tire degradation behavior is no simple formality but rather demands a technical adjustment that a test like Hockenheim first makes apparent.
The Connection Through Lance Stroll
Crawford's ties to Comtoyou Racing run through Aston Martin's F1 lead driver Lance Stroll, who already completed GT3 tests and race outings with the Belgian team in 2026. This existing relationship between Aston Martin Aramco and Comtoyou likely smoothed the path to a test day for Crawford.
A DTM entry for the 2027 season now looks like a concrete option for Crawford and Comtoyou following this test, but nothing is confirmed yet. How much those first 124 laps ultimately reveal will likely become clear only in further tests, particularly as the team refines its driver lineup for 2027 over the coming months.
