Jack Aitken
Jack Anthony Han-Aitken is a British and South Korean racing driver, who competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Cadillac Whelen and in the Endurance Championship for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota. Aitken competed under the British flag in Formula One at the in.
Born and raised in London to a Scottish father and South Korean mother, Aitken began competitive kart racing aged seven. He made the transition to cars when he competed in the Intersteps Championship with Fortec Motorsport, with whom he then went on to race with in the Formula Renault BARC Winter Series, Formula Renault NEC and Formula Renault Eurocup.
After winning the [2015 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0|Formula Renault in Formula One|Renault Eurocup] in 2015, Aitken was signed up for the Renault young driver academy, with which he remained until 2019. After competing in the GP3 Series in 2016 and 2017 he progressed to [FIA 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship|Formula 2 Championship|Formula 2] for 2018. He was Williams F1's reserve driver from 2020 until announcing his exit from the team in January 2023, and raced for the team at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, replacing George Russell, who, in turn, replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the event.
Early and personal life
Jack Anthony Han-Aitken was born on 23 September 1995 in London to a Scottish father and South Korean mother. Aitken holds dual British and South Korean citizenship.Junior racing career
Karting
Aitken started his karting career at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit in Kent aged seven. He competed in the 2010 Super 1 National Kart Championships in the Rotax Mini Max class, with ProTrain racing alongside Jack Hawksworth, finishing third behind champion and future Formula 2 teammate George Russell.Formula Renault
Aitken progressed into single-seater car racing in 2012, competing in the four races of the 2012 Formula Renault BARC Winter Series. He won the final race at Rockingham Motor Speedway and finished second in the standings behind Fortec Motorsport teammate Seb Morris. He also competed for Fortec in the 2012 Dunlop InterSteps Championship, taking two wins to finish third in the championship behind future GP3 Series competitor Matt Parry.In 2013, Aitken competed in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup, in a field which included future Formula One drivers Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon. He finished second in the championship, again losing out to Fortec teammate Parry. Aitken also appeared as a guest driver in three rounds of the main [2013 2015 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0|Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0|Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0] series, recording a best finish of ninth place at the Red Bull Ring.
Aitken entered his first full season of Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 in 2014 with Fortec. He won one race at the Hungaroring and finished on the podium three further times to end the season seventh in the championship. During the first half of the campaign, he had to finish his A-Level qualifications while attending Westminster School. He also made guest appearances in the [2014 Formula Renault 2.0 2015 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps Series|Alps Series|Formula Renault 2.0 Alps] series, with best finishes of fourth place at the Imola Circuit.
For 2015, Aitken moved to Koiranen GP in Formula Renault 2.0, contesting both the Eurocup and Alps series. He won both titles at the final rounds at the Circuito de Jerez, one week apart. He took nine race wins in total, finishing ahead of Louis Delétraz in the Eurocup and Jake Hughes in the Alps series.
Pro Mazda Championship
Aitken made his first appearance in American open-wheel racing in 2014, competing in one round of the Pro Mazda Championship at the Sonoma Raceway with a best finish of fourth place. In 2015, he took part in the Pro Mazda Winterfest for Team Pelfrey. He won three of the five races to win the championship ahead of future IndyCar driver Dalton Kellett and future Williams Formula One teammate Nicholas Latifi.GP3 Series
2016
In January 2016, Aitken stepped up to the GP3 Series with Arden International. In his maiden season, he claimed a victory at Spa-Francorchamps and six additional podiums to finish fifth in the overall standings, one point behind teammate Jake Dennis. In that year, Aitken also made brief appearances in the [2016 2016 Euroformula Open Championship|Euroformula Open Championship|Euroformula Open] and Formula V8 3.5 series, claiming two wins and two pole positions in four races in Euroformula Open and a pole position in Formula V8 3.5.2017
In February 2017, it was announced that Aitken would remain in the GP3 Series, switching to reigning team champions ART Grand Prix. He took one race win at the Hungaroring and five further podium finishes, finishing second in the championship with 141 points, behind champion and former karting rival George Russell on 220 points.Formula 2
2018
In January 2018, ART Grand Prix announced Aitken would join their Formula 2 team for the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship, again partnering Russell. He took his first podium finish with second place in the Baku feature race, and later took his first victory in the [2018 2018 Barcelona Formula 2 round|Barcelona Formula 2 round|Barcelona] sprint race. He finished 11th in the championship with 63 points, whilst Russell claimed the title with 287 points.2019
For the 2019 season, Aitken moved to Campos Racing, initially partnering Dorian Boccolacci and later Arjun Maini and Marino Sato. Aitken took his first win of the season, and Campos Racing's first win in Formula 2, at the Baku feature race. He also won his home sprint race at Silverstone, after overtaking Louis Delétraz on lap 17. Aitken also won the Monza sprint race after defending from the MP Motorsport car of Jordan King. King criticised Aitken's defensive driving as he claimed after the race that Aitken was weaving down the straight. Aitken finished fifth in the standings, scoring 159 of Campos' 189 points and helping them to finish fifth in the teams' championship.2020
Aitken remained at Campos for 2020, partnering Guilherme Samaia. Aitken took a double-podium finish at the second Silverstone round, finishing third in both the feature race and sprint race. He was involved in a high-speed collision with Luca Ghiotto on lap seven of the sprint race at Sochi. Both drivers were uninjured, but damage to the barriers caused the race to be red-flagged and not restarted. Aitken missed the final round at the Bahrain to race in Formula One, and was replaced by Ralph Boschung. Aitken finished 14th in the standings, scoring all of Campos' 48 points.2021
Aitken left Campos and the Formula 2 series after 2020, however he returned during the season with HWA Racelab as a replacement for Matteo Nannini, who withdrew from the championship after the first round. He was initially signed for the second and third rounds in Monaco and Baku respectively and was later retained for the fourth round at Silverstone. He recorded a best finish of ninth place in the second Monaco sprint race, but failed to score points over the three rounds.Formula One career
Renault test driver (2016–2019)
In February 2016, Aitken was one of four drivers confirmed to join the young driver program of Renault F1. In September 2017, Aitken sampled Formula One machinery for the first time, testing the Lotus E20 at Jerez. In February 2018, Aitken was appointed as third and reserve driver for Renault. That year, he tested the Renault R.S.18 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya during the young drivers' test. Another test came at Suzuka where once again he drove the R.S.18. Aitken continued as test driver for Renault in 2019, and once again took part in the 2019 young drivers' test at Barcelona. In February 2020, Aitken left Renault.Williams reserve driver (2020–2022)
For the 2020 season, Aitken joined the Williams Driver Academy alongside Formula 2 rivals Dan Ticktum and Roy Nissany, and W Series and Extreme E driver Jamie Chadwick. Aitken was also appointed Williams' reserve driver. He drove in the first practice session of the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix for the team.Aitken made his Formula One debut as a race driver with Williams at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix as a replacement for George Russell, who was promoted to Mercedes following Lewis Hamilton's positive coronavirus test. Aitken stated before the event he had been "ready since Melbourne " for such an opportunity. He chose to race with the car number 89, in reference to a number he previously used in karting. He qualified for the race in 18th place, within a tenth of a second of teammate and regular driver Nicholas Latifi. On lap 61 of 87, 15th-placed Aitken spun at the final corner, colliding with a barrier and breaking off his front wing. He returned to the pits for a replacement and was able to continue the race, eventually finishing 16th. He later remarked that he had mixed feelings about the race, stating "I think we were doing a really good job up until my little incident. I can only apologise to the whole team", but that there were "a lot of positives to take from the weekend".
Aitken performed Thursday media duties with Williams ahead of the next race in Abu Dhabi but ultimately did not drive the car, as Russell returned to the team prior to FP1 when Hamilton was passed fit to return to Mercedes.
In March 2021, Williams announced that Aitken would continue to be their reserve driver for the season. He took part in FP1 at the, replacing Russell for the session.
Aitken retained his reserve driver role with Williams for the season. He did not partake in any practice sessions that year, and at the start of 2023, he was announced that he would split with Williams, in order to focus on his sportscar career.
Sportscar racing career
2021 season: First endurance racing season and serious crash
After leaving Campos in Formula 2, Aitken switched to sports car racing and joined the GT World Challenge Europe. He competes in both the Endurance and [2021 GT World Challenge Europe 2021 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup|Sprint Cup|Sprint] cups, driving a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo for Emil Frey Racing alongside Konsta Lappalainen. His first race was the 3 Hours of Monza, for which Aitken and his teammates qualified 14th. However, Aitken did not drive in the race as the car was retired following damage from a puncture.In July 2021 during the Spa 24 Hours event, Aitken was involved in a massive crash along with three other drivers. He crashed into the barrier after Raidillon, bounced back onto the track and came to a stop before being hit from behind by another driver which caused two further cars to become entangled in the accident. Aitken was taken to hospital where he stayed overnight. His injuries were described as non life-threatening though serious and it was later revealed that he had sustained "a broken collarbone, a fractured vertebra... and a very small lung contusion".
2022 season: First Le Mans race
In 2022, Aitken moved to the ADAC GT Masters, racing with Albert Costa for Emil Frey Racing.In 2022, Aitken competed in the LMP2 Pro-Am class for Racing Team Turkey alongside Charlie Eastwood and Salih Yoluç. Aitken and his team ended up finishing 11th in the standings.
For the 2022 season, Aitken also raced exclusively in the endurance rounds of the championship, pairing up with Mirko Bortolotti and Albert Costa in the same Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini. He finished 13th and 6th in the first two races, held in Imola and Paul Ricard respectively. In the 24 Hours of Spa, after a crash for Costa, Aitken failed to finish the race.
Aitken made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in the 2022 edition, competing for Algarve Pro Racing alongside Sophia Flörsch and John Falb. The trio finished 25th overall, 20th in the LMP2 class and 5th in the Pro-Am sub class.
2023 season: GTP and first DTM season
For the 2023 season, Aitken would perform double-duties in America and Europe, racing the new Cadillac V-LMDh in the [2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship|IMSA SportsCar Championship|IMSA SportsCar Championship] for Whelen Engineering Racing whilst also contesting the DTM with Emil Frey Racing. He won the 12 Hours of Sebring March 18 after the GTP cars in front of him crashed into each other with only minutes left in the race.2024 season: Full-time IMSA driver and return to DTM
In August 2023, it was announced that Aitken would be a full-time IMSA driver in 2024 for Action Express Racing alongside Pipo Derani. He also returned to DTM for 2024 with Emil Frey Racing.2025 season
Aitken continued as a full-time IMSA driver in 2025 at Action Express Racing, with teammates in Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti. He finished the season as runner-up following consecutive victories in the final two races at Indianapolis and Road Atlanta. Aitken contested the 2025 DTM season with Emil Frey Racing once again, finishing eight in the championship with two victories. He announced his departure from the championship soon after to focus on his other racing commitments in 2026.As part of the No. 311 Cadillac Whelen entry, he did not finish the 2025 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans due to a loss of drive in the 17th hour.
2026 season: Full-time WEC debut
Aitken is set to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship full-time in 2026 for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota, driving the No. 38 car in place of the retiring Jenson Button.Formula E
Aitken joined Envision Racing in Formula E to partake in the rookie test at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit during late April 2023. He partook in his first free practice session at the Rome ePrix.Racing record
Racing career summary
† As Aitken was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.* Season still in progress.
Complete Formula Renault 2.0 NEC results
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Points | |
| 2013 | Fortec Motorsports | HOC 1 5 | HOC 2 Ret | HOC 3 22 | NÜR 1 8 | NÜR 2 9 | SIL 1 2 | SIL 2 2 | SPA 1 3 | SPA 2 20 | ASS 1 2 | ASS 2 4 | MST 1 4 | MST 2 3 | MST 3 12 | ZAN 1 5 | ZAN 2 4 | ZAN 3 C | 2nd | 230 |
Complete Formula Renault 2.0 Alps results
† As Aitken was a guest driver, he was ineligible for pointsComplete FIA Formula 2 Championship results
† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.‡ Half points were awarded as less than 75% of the scheduled race distance was completed.
Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Pos. | Points |
| 2021 | Emil Frey Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | Pro | MNZ Ret | LEC 37 | SPA Ret | NÜR | BAR 6 | 24th | 8 |
| 2022 | Emil Frey Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | Pro | IMO 13 | LEC 6 | SPA Ret | HOC 6 | BAR 3 | 15th | 32 |
* Season still in progress.
Complete GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup results
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos. | Points |
| 2021 | Emil Frey Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | Pro | MAG 1 12 | MAG 2 9 | ZAN 1 15 | ZAN 2 4 | MIS 1 7 | MIS 2 5 | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | VAL 1 | VAL 2 | 19th | 17.5 |
Complete ADAC GT Masters results
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | DC | Points |
| 2022 | Emil Frey Racing | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | OSC 1 18 | OSC 2 5 | RBR 1 6 | RBR 2 8 | ZAN 1 12 | ZAN 2 11 | NÜR 1 7 | NÜR 2 16 | LAU 1 2 | LAU 2 23 | SAC 1 11 | SAC 2 7 | HOC 1 42 | HOC 2 Ret | 4th | 140 |