Alpine has announced that it has agreed to loan its reserve driver Paul Aron to Sauber, in order for the Swiss squad to fulfil the obligatory rookie slots in the remaining Formula 1 free practice sessions this year.
The Estonian, who finished third in last year’s Formula 2 standings, joined the Enstone-based outfit in November last year, and has been present at many F1 race weekends so far this season.
Aron completes a duo of reservists for the Enstone-based outfit, the other being Jack Doohan, who was switched in favour of Franco Colapinto in the second race seat earlier in the campaign.
By contrast, Sauber has no fixed reserve driver in place, with its academy alumni Theo Pourchaire and Zane Maloney leaving upon the conclusion of the 2024 season, the pair moving to the European Le Mans Series and Formula E respectively.
Therefore, Alpine has extended a helping hand to Sauber, enabling it to sufficiently deliver the required amount of rookie appearances in future FP1 sessions.
A statement released by Alpine read: “Paul will therefore take part in two Free Practice 1 sessions with Sauber at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone and at the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring in July to fulfil the Swiss team’s mandatory rookie Free Practice outing requirement set in the FIA regulations.
“Paul remains a key member of BWT Alpine Formula One Team as Reserve Driver as he continues his career development in contemporary machinery.
“In addition to the Sauber outings, he will complete the team’s three remaining mandatory rookie sessions in 2025, dates of which will be confirmed in due course.”
The 21-year-old is highly regarded, having just missed out on the title in F1’s premier feeder series last year, finishing behind current F1 rookies Isack Hadjar and eventual winner Gabriel Bortoleto, now in a race seat with Sauber.
Aron has also shown his mettle in Formula E, finishing a respectable 13th and 14th in the Berlin E-Prix double-header last year for Envision Racing.
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