Thanks to an impressive F2 rookie season, Paul Aron captured Alpine’s attention for 2025, bringing himself one step closer to the F1 grid.
From Rookie Sensation to Alpine’s Future Reserve Driver
In 2024, Gabriel Bortoleto won the Formula 2 title in his rookie season. Alongside the Brazilian’s impressive debut, Paul Aron also had a standout season as a rookie.
The Estonian driver claimed the lead in the championship from Monte Carlo to Silverstone, demonstrating remarkable consistency by scoring points in every race until the UK.
During the season, he scored 163 points, placing him in third place in the final standings.
This performance caught the attention of Formula 1 teams. Among them, Alpine recognized the potential in Aron and decided to bet on him for the future as a reserve driver.
From F4 Prodigy to F2 Title Contender
Paul Aron’s CV is pretty impressive. He has finished outside the top 10 only once in every championship he has contested.
Aron made his single-seater debut in 2019 in the Italian Formula 4 championship with Prema. While he could not beat Dennis Hauger’s dominant form, the Estonian finished third in the championship, outperforming more experienced drivers.
Prema was impressed by the talent he displayed and decided to support him throughout his motorsport career. Together, they achieved many impressive results, including his second year in Formula Regional, where he recorded six wins and seven pole positions.
Although he proved many times that he had great speed and consistency, he never won a title in any of the series he competed in. His rookie season in Formula 2 seemed like a golden opportunity.
After his journey with Prema and Mercedes ended in 2023, he stepped up to F2 with Hitech. With a new team and car, Aron had to adapt all over again in just a few months.
From Bahrain, he immediately felt at ease, securing a podium finish in every round up to Silverstone. While his opponents struggled for pace, he took the lead in the championship after a third-place finish in the feature race in Monte Carlo.
Unfortunately, things became complicated for him in Britain, where he failed to collect points and lost the championship lead to Hadjar.
Since then, Aron encountered difficulties in regaining the pace and consistency he had at the beginning of the season. With a bit of misfortune as well, he fell to third place in the standings, while Hadjar and Bortoleto continued to fight for the title ahead of him.
At Lusail, he managed to regain some of his past performance by winning the race on Sunday. This was an important milestone, showcasing his skills and marking a very successful first season in Formula 2.
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A New Challenge in F1 for Paul Aron
While in Qatar, he was also announced as the 2025 reserve driver for Alpine.
It is a significant achievement for the Estonian, who, at the beginning of the year, found himself without a junior team to support him for the 2024 season.
His on-track performance, combined with the consistency that characterizes him, has impressed Alpine and Oliver Oakes.
Paul Aron spoke with select media, including LWOS, about his promotion and how this season influenced the final decision.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely been a successful rookie year, and I think it’s massively been down to Hitech as well, and the support they have given for me to unlock my potential and be able to show what I have.
“And regarding the Alpine interests, I mean, looking at the season we’ve had, I’m not surprised about the interest. Obviously, I’m very happy and I’m very happy that I’ve got this role for next year. But I think if you come in as a rookie, contrary to Gabriel [Bortoleto], my season started off really strong straight away.
“I was on the podium the first seven rounds in a row, podium each round, leading the championship. I think it was a very impressive beginning of the year. It is true that the middle of the year didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but that was never down to the pace. We still did pole positions and we were always at the front.
“In my opinion, I’ve done everything to deserve that chance. So I would say it’s not been a surprise, the opportunity from Alpine, but at the same time, I don’t want to sound like I’m ungrateful. Obviously, I am very grateful for the chance and Alpine is now my ticket towards Formula One. So I’m very, very happy for that.” – Paul Aron to LWOS.
What’s Next for Paul Aron?
Jack Doohan will have 2025 to prove he deserves a spot on the Formula 1 grid.
Meanwhile, Paul Aron’s presence could serve as a motivating force for the Australian at Alpine. For Aron, 2025 represents an opportunity to further his development and position himself as a future F1 contender.
As the Estonian closely follows the 2025 season, he will undoubtedly aim to capitalize on any chance to showcase his talent and inch closer to realizing his Formula 1 dream.
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