Estonian Formula One driver Paul Aron has had an impressive year, finished third in the F2 drivers' championship in his debut season before earning a contract with Alpine F1 for 2025. Aron told Raadio 2 that being behind the wheel gives him a sense of mental clarity.

This year, 20-year-old Paul Aron competed in the Formula 2 championship for the first time. The Estonia, who drove for Hitech Pulse-Eight, finished in an impressive third place overall in the drivers' championship. Aron managed one race win this year and also recorded a total of seven podium finishes throughout the season.

"It was a very successful season, my goal was to finish in the top three and we achieved that. But when you look at the way things were at the halfway point and we were leading the series, there was definitely hope of winning the title," Aron told Raadio 2.

"Too many technical problems, too many mistakes on my part and on the team's part, that's where those points went and so we finished third. But it's been a very, very successful year because if you look at the history, as a newcomer to Formula 2, it's really difficult to break through. In Formula 2, the pit stops, the longer runs, the strategy, the tire management is all difficult," he explained.

At the end of November, it was revealed that Aron will move on to Formula 1 next season, with the Estonian signing a contract to be Alpine F1's reserve driver. "I didn't come into this year just to take part. I did it because I wanted to drive and compete in Formula 2, I wanted to win. The fact that we had a good season and I got this contract was a result of that," he said.

"No matter which athlete you take – if they are only going to do it for the result, then it's a very difficult career mentally. Results are often not just out of your control, you have to do the sport to enjoy it. As long as I'm enjoying it, I'm driving well," Aron continued.

"I enjoy it because I'm good at it. To be honest, racing allows me to be the best I can be. When I'm racing, I feel I'm in the clearest place mentally. When I'm in the car, I feel like it's a point in my life where I'm really just in that one moment."

"When you're not racing, you're thinking about a lot of things, you're thinking about the future or the past," he added. "When I'm sitting in the car, it's one moment where I'm completely in the present and just focusing on that moment. If we take the really big picture, what's the point of life if you can't get the most out of yourself?"

Aron also got his first taste of Formula 1 in December, when he set a time worthy of a top-10 finish during a test race in Abu Dhabi. "It was the first time I have driven a Formula 1 car and it's not an easy thing to do. It was a very powerful experience, this car has so much grip and power, the brakes are so good, it's such a big leap from what I've done before in my life. After half a day, it felt like the soles of my feet had shifted," Aron said.

"I'll be honest, it was a bit tricky. My body definitely went through a period of shock and then by the second half of the day it was a completely normal thing, I was used to it. It's such a big step up from Formula 2 already," Aron said.

"You prepare all your life to get to Formula 2 and then you make a step like this. There was no preparation at all to go to Formula 1. It's sch a big step that it's impossible to imagine how fast the car is."

---

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!