Sauber has reached an agreement with Alpine – the Swiss racing team is allowed to deploy test and reserve driver Paul Aron twice during a free practice session. All Formula 1 teams are required to let a rookie participate in a practice session four times a year. Since Sauber does not have any young reserve drivers under contract, it turned to Alpine. Paul Aron finished third in the F2 championship last year and has been working for the team from Enstone since November.
On Monday, Sauber and Alpine announced that they have come to a collaboration regarding Paul Aron. Starting this season, all permanent Formula 1 drivers, unless they are rookies themselves, must give up a free practice session twice a year to a young talent. Since Sauber already has a rookie in the form of Gabriel Bortoleto, the team only needs to appoint a replacement twice – in this case for Formula 1 veteran Nico Hülkenberg.
Since there are no juniors in the Sauber program, the team from Hinwil shopped outside. Alpine agreed on Monday to temporarily lend the 21-year-old Paul Aron. The Estonian reserve driver was allowed to test drive during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi last year. For Sauber, he will be in action during the first free practices in Great Britain and Hungary.
Dreaming of a Full-Time Contract
“I am very pleased to have this opportunity to spend valuable time in Formula 1,” Aron responded in an official press release. “I want to thank Alpine for their support in this agreement. It’s no secret that my dream is to one day drive full-time in Formula 1. Therefore, any chance to be on the track in a competitive environment is an important step. At the same time, I continue to focus on my development at Alpine, although I am also really looking forward to the two sessions with Sauber.”
“It is in our interest to maximize the driving opportunities for our young talent,” added Alpine CEO Flavio Briatore. “That’s why it’s good that we’ve reached an agreement with Sauber. We’re seeing mixed success among last season’s Formula 2 drivers this year,” he referred to the many F2 alumni now driving in the premier class, including Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar, and Kimi Antonelli. “Paul Aron was also one of the frontrunners at the time, so this is a great opportunity for him and the team to continue his development.”
