Paul Aron at the wheel of the Sauber in Silverstone Free Practice 1
Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron will make his Silverstone Free Practice debut with Sauber following an unprecedented agreement between the two teams.
The Alpine reserve driver, Paul Aron, will participate in his first Free Practice session in Formula 1, this weekend at the British Grand Prix, at the wheel of the Sauber C45.
An agreement reached between Sauber and Alpine
This exceptional agreement between two competing teams allows the young 21-year-old Estonian to race for the Swiss team at Silverstone and later at the Hungaroring.
Paul Aron, who finished 3rd in the F2 championship in 2024, is not racing in competition this season but is working closely with Alpine on the simulator to help the team climb up the standings, where it currently holds 10th place.
Alpine has a solid pool of young drivers, including Jack Doohan and Paul Aron, even though Ryo Hirakawa left the team to join Haas during the year.
In accordance with the regulations, each team must reserve four FP1 sessions in the season for rookie drivers. Since Sauber is already fielding Gabriel Bortoleto, an official rookie, they only need to release two additional sessions, which will be entrusted to Paul Aron. He will replace Nico Hülkenberg at Silverstone and Budapest.
Paul Aron remains an Alpine driver.
In addition to these two participations with Sauber, Paul Aron remains an Alpine driver and will take part in three other FP1 sessions with the French team, on dates to be announced later.
« I am very happy to have this opportunity to do some driving in Formula 1, thanks to the Alpine team for this arrangement, » said Paul Aron. « My goal is to one day race full-time in F1, and every track session in a competitive context is an important step. »
The executive advisor of Alpine, Flavio Briatore, also welcomed this agreement: « It is in our interest to maximize the opportunities for our young talents to get driving time. Paul was one of the best in F2 last year, so it’s a great opportunity for him as well as for the team. »
Such an agreement remains rare, especially since Sauber and Alpine are currently neck and neck in the constructors’ standings, in 9th and 10th positions respectively.
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