Jack Aitken
Jack Aitken | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jack Anthony Han-Aitken September 23, 1995 London, England |
| Other names | 한세용 (Han Se-yong) |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Known for | Competing in Formula One, IMSA SportsCar Championship, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters |
Jack Anthony Han-Aitken (Korean: 한세용, Han Se-yong; born 23 September 1995) is a racing driver holding both British and South Korean nationalities. He currently competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship representing Cadillac Whelen and participates in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Emil Frey. Aitken has also competed in Formula One, representing Great Britain at the Grand Prix level.
Born in London to a Scottish father and a South Korean mother, Aitken started karting when he was seven years old. His transition to car racing began with Fortec Motorsport in the Intersteps Championship, followed by campaigns in the Formula Renault BARC Winter Series, Formula Renault Northern European Cup, and Formula Renault Eurocup.
After claiming the title in the Formula Renault Eurocup season of 2015, Aitken became part of the Renault young driver academy, where he remained until 2019. He competed in the GP3 Series during 2016 and 2017 before moving up to the Formula 2 series in 2018. From 2020 through January 2023, Aitken served as Williams F1’s reserve driver and made his Formula One race debut at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, stepping in for George Russell who was driving for Mercedes that weekend.
Early and personal life
Jack Anthony Han-Aitken was born on 23 September 1995 in London to parents of Scottish and South Korean descent. He possesses dual citizenship from both Britain and South Korea.
Karting
Starting his karting journey at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit in Kent at just seven years old, Aitken quickly demonstrated potential. In 2010, he competed in the Rotax Mini Max category of the Super 1 National Kart Championships, finishing third behind champion George Russell.
Formula Renault
Aitken made his car racing debut in 2012 by entering the Formula Renault BARC Winter Series. He secured victory in the final race at Rockingham Motor Speedway and ended the series as runner-up to teammate Seb Morris. Additionally, he participated in the Dunlop InterSteps Championship, where he achieved two wins and finished third overall.
During 2013, Aitken contested the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup alongside future Formula One drivers Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon, ultimately finishing second behind teammate Matt Parry. That year also saw him make guest appearances in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series, with his best result being ninth place at the Red Bull Ring.
In 2014, Aitken completed his first full season in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 with Fortec Motorsport. He claimed one victory at Hungaroring and added three more podium finishes to conclude seventh in the championship standings. Concurrently, he balanced his racing commitments while completing A-Level studies at Westminster School. He also took part as a guest driver in the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps series, achieving a best finish of fourth at Imola.
The following year, Aitken joined Koiranen GP to compete simultaneously in both the Eurocup and Alps championships. He clinched both titles during the final rounds held at Circuito de Jerez, amassing nine race wins across both series and finishing ahead of Louis Delétraz and Jake Hughes respectively.
Pro Mazda Championship
Aitken ventured into American open-wheel racing in 2014 by participating in a single round of the Pro Mazda Championship (now known as the Indy Pro 2000 Championship) at Sonoma Raceway, where he finished fourth. In 2015, he competed in the Pro Mazda Winterfest with Team Pelfrey, winning three out of five races to secure the championship title ahead of future IndyCar competitor Dalton Kellett and future Williams F1 teammate Nicholas Latifi.
2016
In January 2016, Aitken made the step up to the GP3 Series competing with Arden International. He secured a victory at Spa-Francorchamps and added six further podium finishes, concluding the season in fifth place overall, just a single point behind teammate Jake Dennis. During the same year, he also participated briefly in the Euroformula Open and Formula V8 3.5, where he achieved two wins and two pole positions in four Euroformula outings, along with a pole position in Formula V8 3.5.
2017
In February 2017, Aitken continued in GP3 but switched to the reigning champions ART Grand Prix. He claimed one victory at the Hungaroring and added five additional podiums, ultimately finishing as championship runner-up with 141 points, trailing champion George Russell who amassed 220 points.
2018
ART Grand Prix announced in January 2018 that Aitken would join their Formula 2 lineup alongside Russell. He earned his first podium by finishing second in the feature race at the Baku event and notched his inaugural win during the sprint race at Barcelona. Aitken ended the season 11th in the standings with 63 points, while Russell clinched the championship with a total of 287 points.
2019
For the 2019 season, Aitken signed with Campos Racing, initially partnered by Dorian Boccolacci, followed by teammates Arjun Maini and Marino Sato. He achieved his first win of that year—and Campos Racing’s maiden Formula 2 victory—at the feature race in Baku. Additionally, he triumphed in the home sprint race at Silverstone after overtaking Louis Delétraz, as well as winning the sprint race at Monza, where he successfully defended against Jordan King from MP Motorsport. King criticized Aitken’s defensive tactics, accusing him of weaving on a straight. Aitken concluded the season fifth overall with 159 points, playing a key role in Campos securing fifth place in the teams’ championship.
2020
Aitken remained with Campos for the 2020 season, teaming up with Guilherme Samaia. He achieved double podium finishes during the second Silverstone round, placing third in both feature and sprint races. At Sochi, he was involved in a high-speed crash with Luca Ghiotto, which led to a red flag and race suspension; both drivers emerged uninjured. Due to commitments in Formula One, Aitken was absent from the final round at Bahrain, where he was substituted by Ralph Boschung. He finished the year ranked 14th overall, contributing all of Campos’ total of 48 points.
2021
After departing Campos and stepping away from Formula 2 following the 2020 campaign, Aitken returned partway through the 2021 season with HWA Racelab, replacing Matteo Nannini who withdrew after the opening round. Initially contracted for rounds two and three at Monaco and Baku, he was retained for round four at Silverstone. His best result was ninth place in the second sprint race at Monaco; however, he did not score any championship points during these appearances.
Renault test driver (2016–2019)
Aitken became part of the Renault Sport Academy's young driver initiative in February 2016. His initial experience behind the wheel of a Formula One car came in September 2017 when he drove the Lotus E20 at Jerez. By February 2018, he had been named Renault’s third and reserve driver. Throughout that year, he took part in young driver tests at Barcelona and Suzuka, piloting the Renault R.S.18. He maintained his role as Renault’s test driver throughout 2019, including competing again in the Barcelona young drivers’ test. Aitken departed from Renault in February 2020.
Williams reserve driver (2020–2022)
For the 2020 Formula One season, Aitken joined the Williams Driver Academy, joining other talents such as Dan Ticktum, Roy Nissany, Jamie Chadwick from the W Series, and Extreme E competitors. He was designated Williams’ reserve driver and participated in the first practice session (FP1) of the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix.
Aitken made his official Formula One race debut at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix when he stepped in for George Russell, who was promoted to Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19. Opting to race with car number 89, a nod to his karting background, Aitken qualified 18th, closely trailing teammate Nicholas Latifi. During the race, he spun on lap 61, damaging his front wing but managed to continue after repairs and ultimately finished 16th. Reflecting on the weekend, he expressed a mix of emotions but emphasized the positive aspects.
Ahead of the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Aitken fulfilled media commitments but did not participate on track as Russell returned following Hamilton’s clearance to race.
In March 2021, Williams confirmed Aitken would continue as their reserve driver for the season. He took part in FP1 at the , substituting for Russell.
Aitken kept his reserve position for the season but did not join any practice sessions. Early in 2023, he ended his association with Williams to concentrate on his sportscar racing endeavors.
2021 season: Debut endurance campaign and severe crash
After departing Campos Racing in Formula 2, Aitken moved into sports car competition by joining the GT World Challenge Europe, competing in both Endurance and Sprint cups. Driving a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo for Emil Frey Racing alongside Konsta Lappalainen, his team qualified 14th at the 3 Hours of Monza; however, Aitken did not participate in the race due to retirement caused by a puncture.
In July 2021 at the Spa 24 Hours event, Aitken suffered a significant accident after colliding with the barrier following Raidillon. The impact caused his car to bounce back onto the track where it was hit from behind, triggering a multi-car collision. He was hospitalized overnight with serious but non-life-threatening injuries including a broken collarbone, fractured vertebrae, and a minor lung contusion.
2022 season: Le Mans debut
In 2022, Aitken competed in ADAC GT Masters alongside Albert Costa for Emil Frey Racing. Within the European Le Mans Series, he raced in the LMP2 Pro-Am category representing Racing Team Turkey with teammates Charlie Eastwood and Salih Yoluç, finishing 11th overall.
He also took part in endurance events with Emil Frey Racing’s Lamborghini pairing with Mirko Bortolotti and Albert Costa. Their results included a 13th place finish at Imola and sixth at Paul Ricard; however, they were unable to complete the Spa 24 Hours due to a crash involving Costa.
Aitken made his first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving for Algarve Pro Racing alongside Sophia Flörsch and John Falb. The team concluded the race in 25th overall position, placing 20th in LMP2 and fifth within the Pro-Am subclass.
2023 season: GTP debut and initial DTM campaign
During 2023, Aitken managed racing duties across both North America and Europe, piloting the newly introduced Cadillac V-LMDh for Whelen Engineering Racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship alongside competing in the DTM with Emil Frey Racing. He achieved a significant triumph at the 12 Hours of Sebring, capitalizing on a late-race collision among GTP contenders to claim victory.
2024 season: Permanent IMSA seat and DTM comeback
In August 2023, Aitken earned a full-time driving position for the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship campaign with Action Express Racing, teaming up with Pipo Derani. Additionally, he resumed his participation in the DTM series with Emil Frey Racing for the 2024 season.
Formula E
Aitken joined Envision Racing as a rookie competitor in Formula E, taking part in the rookie test held at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit in April 2023. He made his initial free practice session appearance during the 2023 Rome ePrix.
Overview of karting achievements
| Season | Competition | Team | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Kartmasters British Grand Prix — WTP Cadet | 12th place | |
| Bayford Kart Club Summer Sprint Championship — Honda Cadet | 3rd place | ||
| Super 1 National Championship — Comer Cadet | 4th place | ||
| 2008 | Kartmasters British Grand Prix — Rotax Mini Max | 14th place | |
| Buckmore Park Summer Championship — Minimax | The Kart Shop | 2nd place | |
| 2009 | Buckmore Park Summer Championship — Minimax | The Kart Shop | Champion |
| Super One Series ABkC Championship — MiniMax | 13th place | ||
| 2010 | Shenington Kart Club — Rotax Mini Max | 9th place | |
| Rotax Max Euro Challenge — Junior | Runner-up | ||
| Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals — Junior | 16th place | ||
| Super 1 National Kart Championships — Rotax Mini Max | Third place | ||
| 2011 | Trent Valley Kart Club — Senior Rotax | 24th place | |
| Trent Valley Kart Club — Junior Rotax | 46th place | ||
| Shenington Kart Club — Rotax Mini Max | 6th place | ||
| BNL Karting Series — Rotax Max Junior | Second place |
Summary of racing career
... [Table structure preserved; key results highlighted] ... ... ... ... ... ... ...| Season | Championship | Team | Events | Victories | Pole positions | Fastest laps | Podium finishes | Points scored | Final standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Intersteps Championship | Fortec Motorsports | 23 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 490 | Third |
| 2013 | 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC season | Fortec Motorsports | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 230 | Second |
| 2021
... |
† As Aitken participated as a guest competitor, he was not eligible to earn championship points.
* The season remains ongoing.
Full Formula Renault 2.0 NEC Results
(key) (Races highlighted in bold represent pole positions) (Races in italics denote fastest laps)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Pos | 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 |
Full Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Results
(key) (Bold races indicate pole position) (Italicized races signify fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Pos | Points |
|---|
| 2013 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 | Manor / MP Motorsport |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | MSC |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | MSC |
colspan=6 | |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | CAT |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | CAT |
colspan=3 | |
NC !0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
colspan=6 | |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | RBR |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | RBR |
colspan=5 | |
|
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | ALC |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | ALC |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SPA |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SPA |
style="background:#EFCFFF;" | MSC |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | MSC |
style="background:#FFDF9F;" | NÜR |
style="background:#DFFFDF;" | NÜR |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | HUN |
style="background:#FFFFBF;" | HUN |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | LEC |
style="background:#CFCFFF;" | LEC |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" | JER |
style="background:#DFDFDF;" | JER |
colspan=3 | |
7th !86 |
|---|
|
style="background:#DFFFDF;" |
ALC style = " background : # DFFF DF ; " > SPA < br > 2 < br > Template:Small7 | style = " background : # FFF FBF ; " > Hungaroring # HUN Race Results HUN < br > 1 < br > Template:Small1 | style = " background : # DFFF DF ; " > HUN < br > 2 < br > Template:Small4 | style = " background : # FFF FBF ; " > Silverstone Circuit # SIL Race Results SIL < br > 1 < br > Template:Small1 | style = " background : # DF DF DF ; " > Silverstone Circuit # SIL Race Results SIL < br > 2 < br > Template:Small2 | style = " background : # DFFF DF ; " > SIL < br > 3 < br > Template:Small4 | style = " background : # FFF FBF ; " > Nürburgring # NÜR Race Results NÜR < br > 1 < br > Template:Small1 | style = " background : # DFFF DF ; " > Nürburgring # NÜR Race Results NÜR < br > 2 < br > Template:Small6 | style = " background : # DFFF DF ; " > Circuit de la Sarthe # Bugatti Circuit LMS < br > 1 < br > Template:Small4 | style = " background : # DFFF DF ; " > LMS < br > 2 < br > Template:Small6 | style = " background : # FFF FBF ; " > [[Circuito de Jerez JER < br > 1 ]] < br > Template:Small1 | style = " background : # FFF FBF ; " > [[Circuito de Jerez JER < br > 2 ]] < br > Template:Small1 | style = " background : # CFC FFF ; " > JER < br > 3 < br > Template:Small16 ! style = " background : # FFF FBF ; " > 1st |
206 |
|---|
Full Results in Formula Renault 2.0 Alps
(Legend) (Entries in bold denote pole position) (Entries in italics denote fastest lap)
<style="background:#FFFFFF;"> | MNZ3
DNS <style = " background : #FFFFBF ; " > | MIS < br >1 < br > 1 </ span > <style = " background : #DFFFDF ; " > | MIS < br >2 < br > 6 </ span > <style = " background : #FFFFBF ; " > | JER < br >1 < br > 2 </ span > <style = " background : #FFFFBF ; " > | JER < br >2 < br > 3 </ span >
| Season | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pos | Points scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Fortec Motorsports | IMO 1 4 |
IMO 2 4 |
PAU 1 |
PAU 2 |
RBR 1 |
RBR 2 |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
MNZ 1 Ret |
MNZ 2 12 |
MUG 1 34 |
MUG 2 19 |
JER 1 7 |
JER 2 Ret |
NC† | 0 | ||
| 2015 | Koiranen GP | IMO 1 2 |
IMO 2 1 |
PAU 1 8 |
PAU 2 6 |
RBR 1 1 |
RBR 2 1 |
RBR 3 13 |
SPA 1 4 |
SPA 2 4 |
MNZ 1 7 |
MNZ 2 Ret | |||||||
| Champion | |||||||||||||||||||
| 242 | |||||||||||||||||||
† Being a guest participant, Aitken was not eligible to earn championship points
Pro Mazda Championship
Full Euroformula Open Championship results
(key) (bold denotes pole position) (italics denote fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SON 9 |
SON 4 |
20th | 31 |
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | RP Motorsport | EST 1 17 |
EST 2 1 |
SPA 1 1 |
SPA 2 2 |
LEC 1 |
LEC 2 |
SIL 1 |
SIL 2 |
RBR 1 |
RBR 2 |
MNZ 1 |
MNZ 2 |
JER 1 |
JER 2 |
CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
8th | 71 |
Full GP3 Series results
(key) (bold marks pole position) (italics mark fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Arden International | CAT FEA |
CAT SPR |
RBR FEA |
RBR SPR ... |
5th | 148 | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | ART Grand Prix | CAT < br/> FEA < br/>
... |
18th | 18 |
Full Formula V8 3.5 Series results
(key) (bold indicates pole position) (italics indicates fastest lap)
Full FIA Formula 2 Championship results
(key) (bold denotes pole position) (italics denote fastest lap with points for top ten finishers)
| Year | Team | ... (columns for races) ... | ... | - Position | - Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | ... |
‡ Awarded half points due to race distance under seventy-five percent.
Full Formula One results
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Full GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results
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Full GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup results
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Full ADAC GT Masters results
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Full European Le Mans Series results
(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (bold shows pole position; italics show fastest lap)
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Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
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Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results
(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (bold represents pole position) (italics represent fastest lap)
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Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results
(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (bold indicates pole position) (italics indicate fastest lap)
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External links
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- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
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- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1995 births
- Living people
- London-based racing drivers
- Scottish motorsport competitors
- South Korean motorsport competitors
- Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup competitors
- Formula Renault Eurocup competitors
- Formula Renault 2.0 Alps competitors
- Indy Pro 2000 Championship competitors
- GP3 Series competitors
- Euroformula Open Championship competitors
- World Series Formula V8 3.5 competitors
- English individuals of Korean heritage
- FIA Formula 2 Championship competitors
- Alumni of Westminster School, London
- Williams Formula One team drivers
- Manor Motorsport team drivers
- MP Motorsport team drivers
- Koiranen GP team drivers
- Arden International team drivers
- RP Motorsport team drivers
- ART Grand Prix team drivers
- Campos Racing team drivers
- Emil Frey Racing team drivers
- HWA Team drivers
- Scottish Formula One participants
- 24 Hours of Le Mans participants
- ADAC GT Masters participants
- Team Pelfrey team drivers
- European Le Mans Series participants
- Fortec Motorsport team drivers
- Formula Renault BARC participants
- Lamborghini Squadra Corse drivers
- WeatherTech SportsCar Championship participants
- Action Express Racing team drivers
- Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters participants
- 24 Hours of Spa participants
- TF Sport team drivers
- Algarve Pro Racing team drivers
- GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup participants
- Formula Renault BARC drivers