Jack Aitken Bio
Jack Anthony Han-Aitken, born 23 September 1995 in London, England, is a British and South Korean racing driver who competes at the highest levels of international motorsport. He currently races the No. 31 Cadillac in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Cadillac Whelen and also contests the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Emil Frey. Aitken has built a versatile career that spans junior single-seaters, Formula One, GT racing, and endurance events, with a particular emphasis on sportscar competition in recent seasons.
Although he is best known to many fans for his one-off Formula One appearance with Williams at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, Aitken has developed into a respected endurance and GT driver. He holds dual British and South Korean citizenship and remains an active presence in global racing.
Early Life and Background
Jack Anthony Han-Aitken was born on 23 September 1995 in London, England, to a Scottish father and a South Korean mother. His multicultural background gave him dual British and South Korean citizenship, and he has raced under the British flag at most of his major career milestones. Growing up in the United Kingdom, Aitken was introduced to motorsport at a young age through karting, a common entry point for aspiring professional drivers.
He began his karting career at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit in Kent at the age of seven. By 2010, he was competing in the Super 1 National Kart Championships in the Rotax Mini Max class with ProTrain racing, where he raced alongside Jack Hawksworth and finished third overall behind champion George Russell, who would later become a long-time rival and teammate. While attending Westminster School, Aitken balanced his racing commitments with his A-Level qualifications during the early years of his single-seater career.
Path to NASCAR
Aitken’s professional career to date has been rooted in open-wheel and sportscar racing, with no documented participation in NASCAR national series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, or NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His progression followed a traditional European single-seater ladder, beginning in Formula Renault and moving through GP3 and Formula 2 before transitioning to Formula One and sportscar racing.
Because his career has not intersected with NASCAR, this Driver page focuses on his established achievements in international open-wheel and endurance competition. Should his racing plans shift toward American stock car racing in the future, his adaptability in different machinery, including prototypes and GT cars, suggests he could transfer his skills effectively.
Jack Aitken Career
Early Career (2012–2015)
Aitken moved into single-seater racing in 2012, contesting four races in the Formula Renault BARC Winter Series with Fortec Motorsport. He won the final round at Rockingham Motor Speedway and finished second in the standings behind teammate Seb Morris. The same year, he raced in the Dunlop InterSteps Championship, taking two wins and finishing third overall behind future GP3 driver Matt Parry.
In 2013, he competed in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup, finishing second in the championship, again behind Parry. The following year, he raced a full Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 campaign with Fortec, winning at the Hungaroring and ending the season seventh overall. He also made a brief appearance in the Pro Mazda Championship at Sonoma Raceway in 2014, finishing fourth, and in 2015 won the Pro Mazda Winterfest with Team Pelfrey, beating future IndyCar driver Dalton Kellett and future Williams teammate Nicholas Latifi.
Formula Renault Breakthrough (2015)
In 2015, Aitken moved to Koiranen GP and delivered the most dominant season of his junior career. He contested both the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and the Alps series, winning both championships at the final rounds at the Circuito de Jerez, one week apart. He recorded a total of nine race wins across the two series, finishing ahead of Louis Delétraz in the Eurocup and Jake Hughes in the Alps championship.
That double-title campaign established him as one of the leading junior talents in Europe and earned him a place on the Renault young driver programme in early 2016.
GP3 Series and Formula 2 (2016–2021)
Aitken stepped up to the GP3 Series in 2016 with Arden International, claiming a victory at Spa-Francorchamps and six additional podiums to finish fifth overall, one point behind teammate Jake Dennis. He also won twice in Euroformula Open and took a pole in Formula V8 3.5. In 2017, he switched to ART Grand Prix and won at the Hungaroring on his way to second in the GP3 standings behind his old karting rival George Russell.
He moved to Formula 2 in 2018 with ART, taking his first victory in the Barcelona sprint race and finishing eleventh overall. In 2019, racing for Campos Racing, he won at Baku, Silverstone, and Monza, finishing fifth in the championship. After a quieter 2020 campaign, he returned briefly in 2021 with HWA Racelab as a replacement driver.
Formula One Career (2020–2022)
Aitken joined the Williams Driver Academy in 2020 and was appointed reserve driver. He made his Formula One debut at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, replacing George Russell, who had been promoted to Mercedes in place of Lewis Hamilton. Aitken chose to race with car number 89, a number he had previously used in karting. He qualified eighteenth, within a tenth of a second of regular driver Nicholas Latifi, and finished sixteenth after a late-race spin.
He continued as Williams reserve driver through 2022, taking part in Friday practice sessions including FP1 at the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix and the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In January 2023, Aitken announced his departure from Williams to focus on his sportscar racing career.
Cadillac Whelen Era (2023–Present)
Aitken moved into sportscar racing in 2021 with Emil Frey Racing, contesting the GT World Challenge Europe in a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo. He also made his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in 2022 with Algarve Pro Racing in the LMP2 Pro-Am class, finishing twenty-fifth overall. In 2023, he split his season between the IMSA SportsCar Championship, racing the new Cadillac V-LMDh for Whelen Engineering Racing, and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Emil Frey. He won the 12 Hours of Sebring after leading GTP cars crashed in the final minutes of the race.
In 2024, Aitken became a full-time IMSA driver with Action Express Racing alongside Pipo Derani while continuing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Emil Frey. His current role with Cadillac Whelen in IMSA, driving car number 31, marks his primary focus as he builds his North American endurance career.
Driving Style and Strengths
Aitken has shown particular strength in prototype and GT machinery, with a reputation for composure during long-distance races and steady pace across stints. His background in formula racing provides a sharp qualifying edge, while his experience in turbulent Formula 2 battles, including defensive duels at Monza and Silverstone, has sharpened his race craft. His partnerships with teams such as ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, and Action Express Racing have helped him refine his feedback and strategic awareness at the top level.
Notable Races and Milestones
Signature moments in Aitken’s career include his Formula One debut at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, his victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2023, and his 2015 Formula Renault Eurocup and Alps double championship. His 2021 Spa 24 Hours crash, from which he recovered to continue racing, is also a defining chapter, demonstrating his resilience after sustaining a broken collarbone, a fractured vertebra, and a small lung contusion.
Jack Aitken Career Wins
Jack Aitken has collected victories across multiple international series, including Formula Renault 2.0, the GP3 Series, the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the Pro Mazda Winterfest, and the IMSA SportsCar Championship. His wins reflect a career that has successfully transitioned from single-seater racing to endurance sportscar competition.
IMSA SportsCar Championship Highlights
Aitken’s most prestigious sportscar result came at the 2023 12 Hours of Sebring, which he won with Whelen Engineering Racing after the leading GTP cars crashed late in the race. He has continued to compete in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Cadillac machinery, building on that breakthrough victory in 2024 with Action Express Racing.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his career, Aitken claimed race wins in the Formula Renault Eurocup and Alps series, the GP3 Series at Spa-Francorchamps and the Hungaroring, and three rounds of the Pro Mazda Winterfest with Team Pelfrey. He also added Formula 2 victories at Barcelona, Baku, Silverstone, and Monza between 2018 and 2019.
Jack Aitken Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jack Anthony Han-Aitken was born in London, England, to a Scottish father and a South Korean mother. His mixed heritage has given him dual nationality and a broad cultural identity that he has carried throughout his international racing career. He is also known by his Korean name, Han Se-yong.
Personal Life
Aitken is professionally active on social media, where fans can follow his career through his verified channels. Public details about his spouse, children, or current residence are not widely documented in verified sources.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Jack Aitken continues to balance commitments between the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Cadillac Whelen and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Emil Frey Racing. His role as a full-time IMSA driver in the No. 31 Cadillac places him among the leading figures in North American prototype racing, where consistency and team coordination are essential to championship contention.
Drawing on the momentum of his 2023 Sebring victory and his 2024 campaign with Action Express Racing, Aitken will look to convert strong race pace into regular podium finishes in 2025. His parallel DTM programme with Emil Frey adds another competitive outlet and helps him maintain sharpness in GT machinery between IMSA endurance rounds.
Looking further ahead, Aitken is set to compete full-time in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026 with Cadillac Hertz Team Jota, driving the No. 38 car in place of the retiring Jenson Button, signalling his continued rise as a leading sportscar prototype driver.