The F1 British GP weekend is swiftly approaching, BWT Alpine Formula One Team just announced their reserve driver, Paul Aron, will drive the Sauber car for the FP1 session. All 10 of the F1 teams are required by the FIA to complete mandatory rookie Free Practice outings. Therefore, Alpine agreed with Kick Sauber for the driving services of Paul Aron.
The two teams are occupying the last spots in the championship currently, yet both have improved since last year. Despite that, this opportunity is great for the Estonian driver in terms of proving what he is capable of. His climb to F1 had him part of the Mercedes Junior team until 2023. Aron recently competed in the 2024 FIA F2 Championship, where he finished third overall. Nevertheless, his skill and prowess on the track attracted the attention of Alpine. They went on to have Paul Aron drive their A524 in the 2024 post-season test. Afterwards, Aron finally signed the contract with BWT Alpine, becoming their reserve driver for 2025.
What this agreement means for Aron
Following the press statement release from Alpine, the agreement will have Paul Aron take part in Kick Sauber’s Free Practice 1 sessions at the F1 British GP and the F1 Hungarian GP. However, this does not mean the Estonian is out of Alpine. As stated by the French team, Aron will continue his development with them. Furthermore, Paul Aron will also complete Alpine’s three remaining mandatory rookie sessions.
Flavio Briatore, the existing team principal of the BWT Alpine Formula 1 team, put out his personal statement in regards to this decision. According to Briatore, Alpine are allowing Aron to gather valuable track time in light of recent F1 rookies’ success:
“It is in our interests to maximise any driving opportunities for our young talent, so it is good to have an agreement with Sauber for Paul to drive in Free Practice 1 in Silverstone and Budapest. We are seeing varied success from last year’s Formula 2 drivers this year up and down the grid, and Paul was a front runner in that category, so this is an opportunity for him and the team to continue his progress and to give him valuable track time.”
Looking forward to his sessions
The Estonian’s first time properly driving a Formula 1 car for Alpine took place in Abu Dhabi. Since then, he has been putting in the work in the simulator, waiting for this moment to come. While this is not a full-time seat, much to the disappointment of Aron, he is still excited to take part in the F1 British and Hungarian GPs alongside Kick Sauber. Paul Aron shared his thoughts in light of this agreement, emphasising his gratitude towards Alpine:
“I am very pleased to be given the opportunity to have valuable track time in Formula One, so thanks to BWT Alpine Formula One Team for coming to this arrangement.
“It is no secret that my desire is to one day race full-time in Formula One, so any chance to be on track in a competitive environment is an important stepping stone. While I continue to focus on my development with Alpine, I do look forward to the two sessions with Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber and giving my maximum effort to them at Silverstone and Budapest.”
Aron’s career so far
Before he became the Alpine reserve driver, Paul Aron had a great upcoming in motorsport. The Estonian was a title contender for a long time in the 2024 F2 season. Yet, a string of bad luck and some lack of consistency had him finish third. Unfortunately for him, his results, although good, did not earn him a full-time seat in F1. Alpine took him under their name and gave him an upgrade. Aron will debut in F1, however, with Kick Sauber in the British GP Free Practice 1 on Friday, the 4th of July.
Aron did not take part in a second F2 season. Instead, he started working with the French team. While Alpine replaced rookie Jack Doohan after only taking part in six races, Franco Colapinto took his place. Paul Aron is awaiting the time when this opportunity will be assigned to him. Nevertheless, the agreement between Alpine and Kick Sauber is only the beginning for a driver as talented and driven as he is.
