Our Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team's Junior Programme features a driver at nearly every level of racing on the ladder to F1.
One of our Juniors, Paul Aron is competing in his first year in F3 with Prema Racing.
It's been a consistent season so far for Paul, where he currently lies fourth in the standings. Despite being mid-way through the year, there are only two rounds - and four races - still to go in the Formula 3 season.
Ahead of Round 8 in Belgium, we caught up with Paul in Budapest to find out how he's been settling into the category.
"I think it's been a very quick season. In July we have four rounds and we've only got one to go after that, despite it being half the year done. But I really enjoyed it and I think Prema have done an amazing job with the progress throughout the whole season. We struggled a bit in the beginning, and we put in a lot of work. We've made many great steps throughout the season. In Barcelona a few rounds ago we were fighting for pole positions and in Austria we got one, but it was sadly taken away with track limits, which is fair enough. We managed to show the potential though and now we've got two rounds to go. Hopefully we can put the pace to good use."
"Austria is one of the highlights. We won the Sprint race on Saturday from eighth on the grid. It was the first wet race with the current Formula 3 car, so we approached it not really knowing what to expect. Everything just clicked and we had an amazing race, storming through the pack and it was a bit like redemption for losing the pole on Friday. The podium in Monaco was also amazing, especially given what happened last year when I had one of the most difficult weekends."
Everything just clicked and we had an amazing race, storming through the pack and it was a bit like redemption for losing the pole on Friday
Paul Aron
"I think there aren't clear weaknesses for us this year compared to last year. We really worked on consistency and bringing home as many points as we can, which is what we have done so far this year. One mistake was the Feature Race in Austria where we had a lot of pace, but we got front wing damage which cost us a shot of the win. The goal for the last two rounds will be to have good speed and be fighting for the top positions, bringing home as many points as possible."
"We are racing on the F1 weekends which means that there is a lot of track evolution throughout the event. On Friday we are first on track and before our qualifying there is an F1 and F2 session which means the track improves massively and you go into qualifying not knowing what to expect. The car generally is amazing to drive, the F3 car is now the only single seater that still has a naturally aspirated engine with no turbo so it sounds great and the throttle response is super nice."
"It was an intense beginning to the season because I had my last year in school and exams. I managed to balance it quite well and was lucky enough to attend my graduation. In the beginning I wasn't going to be able to do it, but Prema gave me an opportunity to go to the simulator later, so I was able to attend. Which was great for me, my family and friends. Being 12 years in school it was an end to a long journey, closing one chapter of my life and now focusing fully on a more important one, racing."
"The support has been amazing this year, especially the fact we are racing on F1 weekends. I have seen a lot more fans, especially in Hungary which was amazing to see. Even at the airport there were people there waiting for me. I want to thank all the fans for their support so far and also everybody who is part of this journey. Mercedes has given me great support and helped me develop as a driver. I've learned a lot. Plus, everyone at Prema and those trackside with me; Karl my engineer, and the mechanics. They work so hard, and I think we've made great progress. Finally, obviously my family who have made this opportunity possible. Hopefully we can end the season on a high."