Paul Aron to take part in FP1 for Kick Sauber at British and Hungarian Grands Prix

Paul Aron is set to take part in Free Practice 1 at both the British and Hungarian Grands Prix for Kick Sauber.

The Alpine Reserve Driver will take over driving duties from Nico Hulkenberg after both teams reached an agreement to share driving services.

The Estonian finished third in the 2024 Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship, taking eight podiums including a race victory in the Lusail Feature Race.

He was announced as Alpine Reserve Driver ahead of the 2025 campaign getting underway, and is set to get three FP1 sessions later in the season for the French outfit.

Speaking about his opportunity, Aron said he was hugely grateful to receive track time on a F1 race weekend.

“I am very pleased to be given the opportunity to have valuable track time in Formula 1, so thanks to BWT Alpine Formula One Team for coming to this arrangement.

“It is no secret that my desire is to one day race full-time in Formula 1 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 Kick Sauber and giving my maximum effort to them at Silverstone and Budapest.”

Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore added: “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.

“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.”