Crawford began karting in 2011 in the Houston, Texas area and competed extensively in North American championships, winning the Challenge of the Americas Junior Rotax Series among other titles. His first overseas karting race came in 2014 at the Rok Cup International Championship, where he finished second aged just nine. He also won the 2016 Florida Winter Tour, 2017 SKUSA SuperNationals, and further rounds of the Challenge of the Americas.
In 2018, Crawford made his car racing debut in the NACAM Formula 4 Championship, finishing runner-up. In 2020 he raced the German and Italian F4 championships with Van Amersfoort Racing; in ADAC F4 he took five wins across the year but lost the title to Red Bull Junior teammate Jonny Edgar by just two points, finishing runner-up. He was named a Red Bull Junior Team member that year.
Crawford joined Hitech GP for the 2021 FIA Formula 3 Championship, finishing thirteenth. He moved to Prema Racing for 2022 and significantly improved — winning in Austria, scoring five podiums, and finishing seventh in the standings with 109 points.
In parallel he competed in Euroformula Open with Motopark in 2021, taking multiple double victories at Paul Ricard, Imola, the Red Bull Ring, and Barcelona despite missing two rounds, ultimately finishing third in the standings.
Crawford stepped up to Formula 2 with Hitech for 2023, a year in which the team was partnered with Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar. His season was uneven — notable highlights included a first F2 victory in the Austria sprint race, his first feature race podium at Zandvoort, and a third-place finish in Monaco — but he ended the year thirteenth with 57 points, two ahead of teammate Hadjar.
He moved to DAMS Lucas Oil for 2024 alongside Juan Manuel Correa. Setting targets of a top-three championship finish, Crawford opened with sprint-race podiums and went on to win his first feature race in Barcelona after jumping polesitter Paul Aron in the pit stops and controlling the remainder. Further podiums followed at Spa (inheriting third on the final lap) and Baku. He finished fifth in the championship with 125 points, one win, and six podiums.
Crawford remained with DAMS for 2025 and converted the strong pace of prior seasons into a championship challenge. He took pole in Jeddah, won the Imola sprint race after passing Ritomo Miyata on lap one, and won the Monaco feature race by timing his pitstop under safety car perfectly. He finished runner-up in the championship.
Crawford joined the Red Bull Junior Team in January 2020 and remained a member for four years before departing the programme. He signed with the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme for 2024. His first Formula One car appearance came on 5 June 2024, driving the Aston Martin AMR22 at the Red Bull Ring, followed by further tests in the AMR22 and a 109-lap young driver test session in the AMR24 at Yas Marina.
He drove the AMR23 in Zandvoort in May 2025 and made his free practice debut in a current Formula One car at the Mexico City Grand Prix, taking Lance Stroll's seat in the AMR25. He was also given another AMR25 free practice run at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and set the fastest time in the subsequent young drivers' test. Following Felipe Drugovich's departure to Formula E, Crawford was promoted to third and reserve driver for Aston Martin's 2026 season and drove in free practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Crawford represents a new wave of American Formula 1 talent, following a pathway through European junior categories with increasing competitiveness at each step. His 2025 Formula 2 runner-up result and his established role within the Aston Martin system position him as a likely candidate for a Formula One race seat in the near future.