Alpine reserve driver Paul Aron will make his Formula 1 free practice debut next Friday at the British Grand Prix – not with his parent team, but behind the wheel of a Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber.
The surprise arrangement comes as part of an agreement between the two teams, with Alpine lending Aron to help Sauber fulfil its mandatory rookie FP1 appearances for the 2025 season.
The 20-year-old Estonian, a former Mercedes development driver who finished third in last year’s Formula 2 championship, has been a fixture in the Alpine garage throughout the season after joining the Enstone-based squad in November and testing with the team in Abu Dhabi.
With Sauber lacking a dedicated reserve driver for 2025, following the exits from its academy of Theo Pourchaire and Zane Maloney, the Swiss outfit turned to Alpine to help fill the gap in meeting its young driver obligations.
The Hinwil squad specified that Aron would also be onboard its C45 in FP1 at the Hungarian GP, once again taking over from Hulkenberg.
As Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto is the team's designated as a rookie, the Brazilian will not be required to step aside for any additional young driver sessions this season.
“I am very pleased to be given the opportunity to have valuable track time in Formula One, so thanks to BWT Alpine Formula One Team for coming to this arrangement,” Aron said.
“It is no secret that my desire is to one day race full-time in Formula One so any chance to be on track in a competitive environment is an important stepping stone.
“While I continue to focus on my development with Alpine, I do look forward to the two sessions with Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber and giving my maximum effort to them at Silverstone and Budapest.”
Sauber Agreement in Alpine’s Interest
Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore emphasised the value of real-world running in developing the team’s junior drivers, calling the arrangement a positive step for all parties involved.
“It is in our interests to maximise any driving opportunities for our young talent, so it is good to have an agreement with Sauber for Paul to drive in Free Practice 1 in Silverstone and Budapest,” Briatore said.
“We are seeing varied success from last year's Formula 2 drivers this year up and down the grid, and Paul was a front runner in that category, so this is an opportunity for him and the team to continue his progress and to give him valuable track time.”
Read also: Piastri adds insult - quite literally - to Alpine’s injuries in Austrian GPWith the grid's current rookies experiencing mixed results, all eyes will be on Aron as he takes to the track in Formula 1 machinery for the first time.
His FP1 outing at Silverstone will offer a critical benchmark for his development – and perhaps a glimpse into a future race seat.
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