Jak Crawford and Kush Maini will compete for DAMS Lucas Oil in the 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Speaking From Experience
Going into the 2025 season, both Maini and Crawford are going into their third season of the series, undoubtedly making them two of the most experienced drivers on the grid.
“I think experience does play a big role, but also, even looking at my rookie season pace-wise, rookies do tend to get up to speed quick,” admitted Maini.
“I would say speed-wise, a one-lap pace, there isn’t much in it with the experience […] but definitely managing a race and managing a weekend, you learn a lot through seasons and through mistakes.”
Therefore, although one-lap pace may be relatively similar across the field, a driver’s performance during either a Sprint or Feature race may be dependent on experience.
“Experience, it’s important […] knowing all the tracks, having past experiences, things that have gone bad but yeah, it’s true, that since my rookie season, I wouldn’t say I’m a whole lot faster,” added Crawford.
“I just have more experience, I’m able to do less mistakes and just be a bit more accurate and up to speed, but it’s not making a massive difference in terms of pace.”
Crawford remains with the team for the 2025 season, whereas Maini moves to the team from reigning champions Invicta Racing.
All Eyes On Crawford
Finishing fifth in the 2024 Formula 2 Championship, Crawford finds himself as the highest returning driver.
Cadillac are due to join the Formula 1 grid in 2026, making it clear that they would like an American driver in their line-up.
“At the moment, it’s still very early in the season […] so we don’t know,” said Crawford.
“Of course, I have my commitments with Aston this year, so that’s my focus. Of course, I’ve said before that I would love to race in F1, and F1 is my dream and my goal. Hopefully, in the future, that comes about.”
Crawford enters his second year being part of the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme.
In June 2024, Crawford made his debut in a Formula 1 car, driving the AMR22 at the Red Bull Ring.
Since then, he tested the AMR22 again a month later and drove the AMR24 during the Young Driver Test at the Yas Marina Circuit following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“I’ve been testing, and I’ve been doing lots of sim for them the past two months and it’s, in turn, helping me prepare as well for my season,” said Crawford, when speaking about how Aston Martin have helped him prepare for the 2025 season so far.
A Focus On Formula E
During the Formula 2 off-season, Maini and Crawford both took part in the Formula E Rookie Free Practice in Jeddah.
Furthermore, both drivers also took part in the Berlin Rookie Test in 2024, with Crawford also serving as a Reserve Driver for Andretti.
“Formula E was fun. It was actually the first time we drove a race car this year, so it’s always fun getting into that car. The level of engineering and professionalism in that championship is very high, so you definitely learn a lot in terms of feedback and structure,” said Maini.
“I think it’s great to finish that and then come into F2. It definitely helps in a way that you structure your feedback with the engineers and the work that goes in, as it’s a very professional championship.”
Maini topped the timings at the end of Jeddah’s Rookie Free Practice for Mahindra Racing, with the Indian racer looking comfortable behind the wheel.
“It was obviously great to be part of the test, and again, same for me, it was my first time driving this year. It was good to get back in the car and get that feeling again before the F2 testing. I’ve been working with Andretti all winter in their sim and doing their Reserve Driver role in lots of their sims, so I’ve been really busy with that,” added Crawford.
“I think it’s been really good just to learn from the engineers, and it’s been keeping me sharp. I’ve been at some races as well, learning a bit from the drivers. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily helped me for F2 driving-wise, but for sure, keeping sharp and understanding the car aspect side of it is definitely helping me this year.”
Looking Ahead
Formula E is a pathway that drivers who have previously competed in the Formula 2 Championship are increasingly taking.
Last years’ Formula 2 competitors, Taylor Barnard and Zane Maloney, took the leap to the series for 2024/25 Championship.
As Formula 1 is the most exclusive racing series worldwide, up-and-coming drivers are aware that they must explore options other than the pinnacle of motorsport.
“I definitely have thought about it,” admitted Crawford, when asked if he had considered joining the Formula E Championship.
“To be honest, Formula E is something I would love to do. Even if I make it to F1 at some point, I still would love to do Formula E at some point in my career. It’s something I really like and something that interests me. I really like the way they all work. Obviously, it’s still a very new series compared to F1, so the development is quite big in the series, so hopefully it can grow a bit more and get a bit more recognition and be one of the top motorsports in the world at some point.”
The 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship begins at the Australian Grand Prix on 14-16 March, 2025.
Featured Image Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited
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