Estonian Paul Aron has been an surprising sensation in his rookie System 2 season. Though now not affiliated with the Mercedes junior scheme, having stepped away from the programme following his F2 debut within the 2023 Abu Dhabi finale, the System 3 graduate enters the Austrian weekend which marks the midpoint of the marketing campaign on the head of the standings.
The Hitech driver has achieved that feat in a subject stacked with expertise, with a combination of skilled drivers and highly-rated fellow rookies together with the seemingly Mercedes Formula 1-bound Andrea Kimi Antonelli, regardless of having but to face atop the rostrum.
However his stage of consistency in a fluctuating aggressive order has seen Aron end exterior of the factors solely as soon as – this coming within the Melbourne dash when he was the harmless sufferer of a collision between Prema’s Antonelli and Trident driver Richard Verschoor. On the time, he had been working fourth.
The one driver with a three-figure factors rating, on precisely 100, Aron has notched up a podium on each weekend thus far this season, an achievement the 20-year-old alone can boast in 2024.
Requested by Autosport if he had anticipated this stage of efficiency having completed third in F3 final season and in the identical place within the earlier two seasons of the System Regional European championship, Aron mentioned: “It’s a tough query to reply as a result of I would like to choose my phrases.
“If I say ‘sure’ then I sound very smug but when I say ‘no’ then it feels like I don’t imagine in myself.
“I really feel like for those who look again in my profession, I’ve all the time been up there – in karting, in my 2018 season, I had a really profitable 12 months and I principally gained each race and championship I competed in.
“Then, in automotive racing thus far, I haven’t had that breakthrough season the place you win all the things however I’ve all the time been combating up there and I’ve all the time been combating for titles and race wins.
Paul Aron, Hitech Pulse-Eight
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“In motorsport, there’s a lot that goes right into a season and there are numerous issues that must fall in place to have that profitable season. Evidently this 12 months with Hitech and with this new automotive, we’ve got been getting it proper.
“It doesn’t imply that that is the season that we’re going to win the championship however we’re definitely in a very good place and the vital factor is to maintain going.”
The F2 season is comfortably the longest that Aron has contested with 28 races unfold throughout 14 weekends, a big improve from the 18 races from 9 weekends of F3.
Explaining why the longer format seems to be suiting him higher, Aron added: “I’ve by no means doubted myself as a rookie as a result of I’ve all the time felt that I adapt to new issues rapidly.
“I knew coming into System 2 that this championship would play to my strengths as a result of I’m a driver who approaches a season with a structured, studying method and form of a smart method, which positively performs off in a protracted and tough championship like System 2.
“As a result of if we examine it to System 3, that’s such a brief championship. After this busy interval, they principally have one spherical left, so there’s not likely time to get your self into the championship. It is advisable be there straightaway and at the start, with a brand new automotive, that’s fairly dangerous.
“So I’d say that this System 2 season is certainly enjoying to my strengths. I’ve been capable of construct a season how I would like, the workforce has executed a very good job, we’ve got a extremely nice environment and we’re simply executing issues thus far fairly nicely.
“To simply reply your query; no, I by no means doubted that this was doable and I by no means doubted the workforce both as a result of, from earlier years and former outcomes, you could possibly all the time see that that they had the potential to be up there.”
Pepe Marti, Campos Racing, 2nd place, Zane Maloney, Rodin Motorsport, 1st place, and Paul Aron, Hitech Pulse-Eight, third place, on the rostrum
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Whereas it isn’t unparalleled for a rookie to say the F2 title, with Oscar Piastri the latest driver to attain that feat in 2021, Aron can be the primary to attain this since its 2017 rebranding from GP2 with out coming into because the reigning GP3/F3 champion.
Piastri had gained the F3 crown in 2020, whereas Charles Leclerc and George Russell additionally conquered F2 after turning into champion within the prior class the 12 months earlier than.
Aron, who made his Formula E debut for Envision at Berlin earlier this year, has been carefully pursued by Campos Racing driver Isack Hadjar within the standings. 9 factors separate the pair, whereas third-placed Zane Maloney (Rodin) is 25 factors off the lead.
Confronted with the suggestion that the title race was now a two-horse battle, Aron mentioned: “We nonetheless have a protracted solution to go. However I agree – with Zane [Maloney], the hole is principally one race win, which is beginning to be one thing.
“Within the massive image, it’s a bit too early to say nonetheless, and I believe the true reference level will likely be after this triple header and the double header that follows straight after.
“Once we go into the summer season break, we may have a good suggestion of the place everyone seems to be.”