"I haven't felt that kind of adrenaline all year," claims Aron as he reflects on his FP1 outing with Sauber
Having ended up P17 in the opening one-hour session at the British Grand Prix, Paul Aron stated that his FP1 outing with Sauber was a fantastic experience as he has not "felt that kind of adrenaline all year."
Sauber confirmed earlier this week that Alpine junior driver Paul Aron would make FP1 appearances in Silverstone and Budapest following an agreement with Alpine for his driving services.
Hailing from the Baltic state’s capital, Tallinn, Aron comes from a family with deep motorsport roots. He began karting at the age of seven, quickly establishing himself on the European stage and clinching the 2018 CIK-FIA Karting European Championship. He earned himself a place in the Mercedes Junior Team in mid-2019, just months after his single-seater debut.
Aron most recently competed in the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship for Hitech, ending the season third. The Estonian previously raced in the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship with Prema Racing, coming third in the standings.
Beforehand, he competed in the Formula Regional European Championship for Prema in 2021 and 2022, in which he ended both series in third. He also won the rookie cup in the 2019 Italian F4 Championship and placed third in the regular standings.
Having ended up P17 in the opening one-hour session, Aron stated that his FP1 outing was a fantastic experience as he has not "felt that kind of adrenaline all year."
“Running with the team in FP1 was amazing. First of all, I want to give a massive thank you to Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber and to Alpine. It’s not often that two competitor teams allow a driver to have this kind of opportunity, and I’m truly grateful to both for making it happen.
"I felt I got up to speed much quicker than expected, and it was fantastic to be at a Formula One weekend knowing I would be driving: I haven’t felt that kind of adrenaline all year, not since I stopped racing in Formula 2.
“I was happy to complete my full run plan and contribute to the team’s work this weekend. In the end, I got a run on soft tyres and that was a very satisfying moment.
Aron continued: "I am proud I could provide useful data, and I feel this session benefited both parties. Any mileage in a Formula One car is valuable, especially for a young driver like me who is trying to make it onto the grid: of course, there’s pressure, but that’s part of what makes this level so special.
"After seeing how tricky the conditions were for all drivers out there, I reminded myself that rule number one in an FP1 session is not to damage the car. I’ve only had one day in the simulator with this car, so I focused on executing my plan and staying sharp.”
