Shocking: Alpine junior to drive for Stake Sauber in FP1 sessions at Silverstone and Hungary. Paul Aron makes his Formula 1 debut.

Paul Aron makes his Formula 1 debut: he will drive for Stake Sauber in FP1 at Silverstone and Budapest thanks to an agreement with Alpine

Paul Aron, a driver under contract with Alpine, is set to make his official debut during a Formula 1 weekend. The Estonian driver will take to the track during Free Practice 1 of the British Grand Prix, driving the Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber car. His debut will come behind the wheel of Nico Hülkenberg’s car, in compliance with the FIA regulation that requires two mandatory sessions for young drivers during the season. A second outing is already confirmed: Aron will return to the track for FP1 of the Hungarian Grand Prix, again in place of the German.

The talent from Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, developed within the Mercedes junior program starting in 2019, after winning the CIK-FIA European Karting Championship in 2018. Following a steady path through Formula 4, Formula Regional, and Formula 3, Aron made his Formula 2 debut, immediately showing consistency and speed. These qualities earned him third place in the championship and a promotion to Alpine F1 Team’s Test and Reserve Driver for the 2025 season.

In 2024, he had already driven a Formula 1 car during the rookie test in Abu Dhabi, but the opportunity at Silverstone will mark his first appearance in an official session during a race weekend. After FP1, Aron will return to Alpine’s garage for the rest of the weekend, as per the agreement between the two teams.

No obligations for Gabriel Bortoleto: Aron will cover both mandatory FP1 sessions
Since Gabriel Bortoleto is classified as a rookie by the FIA and has already participated in FP1 in Australia and China, Stake F1 has chosen Aron to complete the two slots dedicated to young drivers in Hülkenberg’s car. This allows the team to meet the regulation without affecting the Brazilian driver’s program.

Aron is therefore one of the young drivers to watch in the second half of 2025. Estonia returns to the F1 grid with a talent ready to step up to the top level of motorsport.