Jak Crawford secured his first victory of the season during the Sprint Race at the 2025 Imola Grand Prix. Here’s why that’s crucial for his Championship campaign.
As Imola Happened
After qualifying in second position for Saturday’s Sprint Race, a perfect start from Crawford saw him take Pole from Ritomo Miyata into Turn Two.
“We weren’t too confident at the start but luckily, we had a great launch and that was it, I was going into Turn One. I knew I had the momentum […} and I knew that was the crucial point of the race.”
With Imola notoriously being known as a track that is difficult for drivers to perform overtakes at, Crawford knew that he was now in the best position to manage the race and take his first win of the season.
“If I could get a good start, it would be a lot easier of a race to manage and that is exactly what we did, and it turned out perfectly.”
Although Crawford managed to maintain a 2.2s gap from second position by Lap 19, a yellow flag that shortly followed meant his lead was gradually diminishing.
By the final lap, closest competitor Arvid Lindblad was just 1.3s behind the American.
“My engineer was telling me the gap every lap and I was more or less staying the same for the last couple of laps,” recalled Crawford.
“In the last three laps, he got a bit closer but still not within DRS.”
Crawford’s victory marked the first of his season, kickstarting his Championship fight.
Consistency Equals Championships
As the highest returning driver in the 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship, finishing fifth in the 2024 Championship, all eyes are on Crawford to potentially take the 2025 title.
“I feel very confident that we can keep consistent,” admitted Crawford.
“Melbourne was a good qualifying for us, Bahrain was a bit of an outlier for us, but we’ve been strong in Jeddah and strong in Imola.”
Admittedly, it has not been the easiest start to the season for American driver.
Round one saw Crawford qualify in third in Melbourne.
However, engine issues resulted in a DNF in Saturday’s Sprint and treacherous weather conditions caused Sunday’s Feature Race to be cancelled.
Bahrain was another difficult weekend for the Aston Martin Young Development Driver, with a combination of driver and team errors resulting in zero points across the weekend.
With things starting to look up in Jeddah, Crawford took the first Pole positions for DAMS Lucas Oil since 2023.
However, he lost the lead in the Feature Race to Richard Verschoor, resulting in a second-place finish.
With consistency being something that he hopes to maintain after his victory in Imola, Crawford looks ahead:
“That is the goal, to be consistent. I think that is what, in the end, wins Championships in this category. That’s why I have confidence in the team and the way we are working, that we can consistently be in the top five, top seven in qualifying and score big points across the weekend.”
For The Team
Remaining with DAMS Lucas Oil for the second year in a row, Crawford praises the ongoing relationship that he has with the team.
“The team is doing a great job; I am super happy,” said Crawford.
“It’s my second year with the team and we are working really well together. They know how to give me a car that works well for me and my driving and […] it also translates to the race as well. They have a good connection and that creates good results.”
Joining the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2023, the American driver also acknowledges how his experience has aided his recent progressions.
“I’ve raced here before. Being here last year, I knew if I could get to the lead, it was going to be difficult for someone to overtake me. We have always had great pace, and I’ve always felt like if I can get out in front, I can always hold the lead,” admitted Crawford.
“Once I got out in front, it was just about managing the gap, I didn’t really […] think about the win, I was just trying to manage the gap and make sure that I wasn’t being caught. Obviously in the last five laps, you realise you’re going to win, and you have the gap, so then it’s just about bringing it home.”
The History Of Imola
A special track for many, the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari has long history not only in motorsport, but also Crawford’s career
“It is one of my favourite tracks,” reminisced Crawford.
“I’ve always done well here; I’ve raced around here in F4 and Euro F3. It is a track I really enjoy, and I think also winning at a track you enjoy is just a bit better.”
Featured Image Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited
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