Alpine has announced the recruitment of F2 star Paul Aron as its reserve driver for 2025.

The 20-year-old Estonian is currently competing in his first season of Formula 2 with Hitech Pulse-Eight. With seven podiums he is currently fourth in the championship and second-best rookie as it stands.

He will line-up on pole position for Sunday's penultimate Feature Race in Qatar as he remains in the mix for the Drivers' Championship.

"We are very pleased to have Paul join Alpine as our 2025 Reserve Driver," said Flavio Briatore. "There is a generational shift in Formula 1 at the moment, as we see with many young drivers coming into the sport and making an impact. We believe Paul is one of the best talents and we look forward to developing him into an F1 driver."

"It's incredibly special to be joining Alpine," added Aron. "It is clear that this is a great place to be for any young driver and I'm really pleased that Flavio and Oliver [Oakes] have given me this opportunity.

"Before 2025 and the hard work that will come with being the team's reserve driver, I have a championship to focus on for the remainder of this year and I will be giving it my all to compete for the title.

"I'm looking forward to really beginning the work and continuing my career pathway in motorsport."