On Friday, Test and Reserve Driver Paul Aron will climb aboard the A525 when he takes part in Free Practice 1 for BWT Alpine Formula One Team in Monza.

It will be the Estonian’s third public outing for the team, following the post-season Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi in December and the Pirelli Tyre Test in Budapest before the summer break. It will also be Paul’s third FP1 of the season after he completed two sessions for Sauber in Silverstone and Budapest.

Paul has been with Alpine since December, having finished his rookie FIA Formula 2 season in third place overall. One of his eight podiums in 2024 came in Bahrain, and the 21-year-old is looking forward to getting back out on the Sakhir track with the team. While he’s already been supporting Alpine this year through simulator work at Enstone, this FP1 session will provide valuable insight as the squad works through its typical Friday run plan.

Paul’s Test and Reserve role was confirmed shortly after he secured his maiden F2 victory in Qatar. In a competitive rookie season, the Estonian was proud to deliver a win before the year was out. “We had been so close to winning races throughout the season,” said the 21-year-old. “But small mistakes and bad luck went against us. That cost us some wins, so to finally get a victory before the season ended was a big relief.”

Born in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, Paul was perhaps always destined for a career in motorsport. His elder brother, Ralf, is also a professional racer, while both his father - and even his grandmother - raced motorbikes. Paul began karting at the age of seven, and his speed and calm demeanour behind the wheel quickly stood out. His success across Europe culminated in winning the prestigious CIK-FIA Karting European Championship in 2018 - catching the eye of Formula 1 talent spotters.

After graduating from karting into single-seaters, Paul competed in a range of junior categories, including both the Italian F4 and Formula Regional European Championships. In 2023, he made his FIA Formula 3 debut with Prema Racing, taking his first win in Austria and finishing third overall in the points standings - with four podiums and two fastest laps. He then stepped up to Formula 2 at the final round of the season, before embarking on a full campaign with Hitech last year.

Outside of racing, Paul - who still lives in Tallinn - is also a keen surfer, having visited some of the world’s top surf spots, including Costa Rica, Mexico, Bali and Sri Lanka. “I’ve always been a big fan of travel,” says the 21-year-old. “I’ve loved many of the places I’ve visited with racing, but probably my favourite city so far has been Melbourne in Australia. When we raced there in F2 last year, I spent a week on either side of the race exploring the city. It has everything — cool restaurants, great nightlife, lots of greenery, and so many sports to do and watch.”

Free Practice 1 in Monza gets underway at 13:30 local time on Friday 5th September.