Paul Aron to Drive for Alpine in FP1 at Monza
Alpine's reserve driver Paul Aron is set to take the wheel during Free Practice 1 at the Italian Grand Prix. He will be on double duty, also contributing to simulator work back at the team's base.
Alpine has confirmed that Paul Aron, their reserve driver, will be behind the wheel for Free Practice 1 at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. Aron, who has already participated in three practice sessions this year, will take over from Pierre Gasly during the session at Monza.
Earlier in the season, Aron split his practice duties between Alpine and Audi, with appearances in Barcelona and Austria for the latter. However, his most recent outing was with Alpine in Hungary, where he drove the A526. Now, at Monza, he'll once again be driving the same car, providing valuable feedback on the team's latest upgrade package.
"I am looking forward to driving again in Free Practice 1 with the team this weekend," Aron stated. "I am grateful to the team for giving me the opportunity to get back behind the wheel so soon."
Aron expressed satisfaction with his previous session in Budapest and aims to build on that experience. "I was very pleased with my session in Budapest, and I hope to build on it this time around, particularly helping the team compare our latest upgrade package which I have driven in the simulator."
After his on-track session, Aron will head back to Alpine's base in Enstone to work on the simulator. His aim is to fine-tune the car's setup further before the weekend's activities continue. "It's going to be a busy weekend for me as I'll be on the simulator at Enstone on Friday night to further help the team fine tune the set-up before returning to the track on Saturday. I'll give it my all to hopefully assist the team in having a successful weekend."
This weekend also features both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto running the upgrade package initially introduced at Zandvoort. While Aron gets his hands dirty in FP1, Gasly and Colapinto will continue working on the car's performance, hoping to capitalize on the improvements made.
With the Italian Grand Prix just around the corner, Alpine looks to make the most of Aron's contributions both on and off the track. His involvement in the practice sessions and simulator work underscores the intricate balance between technology and driver input necessary for a successful race weekend.