Jack Aitken holds dual British-South Korean nationality, a heritage stemming from his Scottish father and South Korean mother.
Born on September 23, 1995, Aitken’s journey in motorsports began at a young age. At just seven years old, he started karting at Buckmore Park Kart Circuit in Kent. He competed in the 2010 Super 1 National Kart Championships in the Rotax Mini Max class, finishing third behind George Russell, who won the championship and would also become Aitken’s teammate in Formula 2.
Aitken stepped up from karting to car racing for the 2012 Intersteps Championship with Fortec Motorsports. His time with Fortec also involved stints in the Formula Renault BARC Winter Series, the Formula Renault NEC, and the Formula Renault Eurocup. It was in the Eurocup that Aitken clinched the 2015 title. This win was a turning point in his career, leading to his time with the Renault Young Driver Academy.
Aitken’s time in the Renault academy lasted until 2019, during which he competed in various racing series. Notably, he raced in the GP3 Series in 2016 and 2017 before progressing to Formula 2 in 2018. His driving caught the attention of Williams, leading to his role as a reserve driver for the team in 2020. Aitken’s most notable Formula 1 moment came during the 2020 season at the Sakhir Grand Prix, where he stepped in for a single race for George Russell, who was temporarily filling in for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
