Mercedes junior joins Formula Regional Asian Championship

Jon Wilde
Paul Aron spraying champagne. Imola April 2021.

Paul Aron spraying champagne after a Formula Regional European Championship race. Imola April 2021.

Mercedes junior driver Paul Aron will contest the 2022 Formula Regional Asian Championship for the Abu Dhabi Racing team.

Aron, an Estonian who will turn 18 in early February, was taken on by Mercedes in the summer of 2019 after a highly successful karting campaign the previous year.

He has subsequently finished third in the Italian F4 Championship and also the 2021 Formula Regional European Championship, both for Prema Powerteam.

In the latter series, won by Gregoire Saucy of Switzerland, Aron finished strongly by winning both races of the penultimate round at Mugello and taking second place in the Monza finale.

Prema support Abu Dhabi Racing, for whom Aron will race in the Formula Regional Asian Championship which takes place in January and February in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The series begins at Yas Marina on January 22-23, switches to the Dubai Autodrome for the following three weekends and then returns to the home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to climax on February 19-20.

“I’m super-happy to announce I will be joining Abu Dhabi Racing and Prema for the 2022 Formula Regional Asian Championship season,” said Aron.

“Prema has become like a family to me and I love working with them. We worked really hard last year and I am excited to demonstrate it on track. We have some unfinished business to deal with.”

Prema team principal Rene Rosin added: “We deeply enjoyed working with Paul last season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, and we are looking forward to having him back for the Asian Championship as well.

“He has great experience with this type of car, so I think he will maximise his potential.

“It’s also good to see the Abu Dhabi Racing line-up expand as it underlines the value of this project. There will be many high-quality competitors, as the level of the championship keeps growing, so it will be an exciting five rounds for sure.”

Last year’s winner of the Formula Regional Asian Championship was Guanyu Zhou, who is now looking forward to his debut F1 campaign for Alfa Romeo. Zhou also competed for Abu Dhabi Racing.

 

A trio of local drivers, including sisters Hamda and Amna Al Qubaisi, will be Aron’s team-mates with Abu Dhabi Racing, while the principal opposition from outside could be provided by Arthur Leclerc of Mumbai Falcons – who also field Sebastian Montoya, Dino Beganovic and Italian F4 champion Ollie Bearman.