Alpine has announced a driving service agreement with Sauber, where Paul Aron, a spare driver for the Swiss team’s British Grand Prix, will be taking part in FP1.
Aron was named one of Alpine’s reserves last year towards the end of Hitech’s Formula 2 Title Challenge Race, a team owned by the then Alpine team principal Oliver Oaks. The Estonian drove during post-Abu Dhabi testing and completed six days in the 2023 car as part of testing Alpine’s previous car (TPC) program, but it’s not yet working in the FP1 session.
This will change with Silverstone and July hangering this weekend, but it’s for Sauber rather than alpine, following an agreement between the two teams that allow Sauber to access Aron’s services.
“It is our interest to maximize driving opportunities for our young talent. So it is good for Paul to agree with Sauber to drive Paul to drive Free Practice 1 in Budapest with Silverstone.”
“We’ve had a variety of successes from last year’s Formula 2 drivers up and down this year’s grid. Paul was the front runner in that category. This is an opportunity for him and his team to continue his progress and give him valuable track time.”
Aron will also run three FP1 sessions for Alpine between this year and the end of the season. The team was running along the Ryo River in Suzuka this year. As Alpine evaluates the options in its 2026 driver lineup, Aron will offer a total of five outings in 2025.
“We are extremely pleased to be given the opportunity to have valuable track time in Formula 1, so we would like to thank the BWT Alpine F1 team for taking part in this arrangement,” Aron said. “It’s no secret that my hope is to race full-time full-time in Formula 1, so the chance to stay on track in a competitive environment is an important stepping stone.
“I continue to focus on development at Alpine, but I look forward to two sessions with Stake F1 Team Kicksawber and I’m trying my best in Silverstone and Budapest.”