Aston Martin has become the surprise first Formula 1 team to announce a rookie driver for a practice session in 2026.

F1 teams are obliged to hand over four practice sessions a season - two for each entry - to a rookie driver with fewer than two prior starts, though teams who already field a rookie (ie Racing Bulls with Arvid Lindblad) can part-fulfil the requirement by just running their actual signed driver.

But Aston Martin is the first team to call up somebody from off the grid, with reserve driver Jak Crawford set to drive Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin AMR26 in opening practice at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka - engine partner Honda's home race - this weekend.

Formerly a Red Bull junior, Crawford joined Aston Martin's junior ranks in 2024. He was runner-up in Formula 2 last year to champion Leonardo Fornaroli, and has no current full-time racing programme.

Having already done two practice sessions for Aston Martin last year, he is an obvious choice to fulfil the rookie requirement - but his call-up comes considerably earlier than expected.

Additive mileage with regular drivers is still very valuable to teams at this stage so early in this regulations cycle - though for Aston Martin sustained mileage of any kind has often proven hard to come by.

Neither Alonso nor team-mate Lance Stroll have been classified in either grand prix of the season. Alonso retired last time out in China due to excessive vibration in the car.

Aston Martin said of Crawford's outing that "extensive simulator work has been a key part of his role, which will be particularly valuable at Suzuka, a circuit he has never driven at before".

"It's an important opportunity for him to keep progressing, while also contributing to the team by gathering useful data and feedback," said chief trackside officer Mike Krack.