Aron remaining realistic after ‘most dominant Practice of the season’

Paul Aron was in formidable form in the first session back from the break, topping Lusail Free Practice in convincing fashion by six-tenths of a second.
The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver set a 1:38.024 to lead the way from Championship rival Gabriel Bortoleto, but despite his fast start in Qatar, the Estonian is keeping his expectations tempered ahead of Qualifying this evening.
“It was a very strong session, and probably the strongest Free Practice we’ve had this year. But I’m really not counting on it to be honest. I’ve been top of the times in Free Practice before, and been at the complete opposite end of it in Qualifying and vice versa.
“I think there’s a lot that can change. It’s obviously good to always start from a good baseline, and it gives you a bit of a headstart when you work towards Qualifying, but confidence-wise, it’s still the same approach, and I’m not expecting to go into Qualifying and absolutely destroy everybody.”
Aron was hugely positive about his and the team’s work in the opening session of the weekend, adding that the Lusail International Circuit is one of the more enjoyable venues to drive.
READ MORE: Aron aiming to end the 2024 season ‘on a high’ as title fight heats up in Qatar
While that made for an entertaining Practice, Aron says that the all-important Qualifying half hour later on will be a world of difference, with little margin for error.
“It was a really fun session. I think the team did a very, very good job so I’m massively thankful to Hitech because the car was in the window straight away. After such a long break and having never been to this track, it’s not an easy task.
“This track is a lot of fun. It’s super high speed. I think we should have more of these kind of tracks on the calendar, because in the end, this is what a single seater is made to do. It’s made to go quick around the corners, and these high-speed corners allow us to do it.
“It was also very tricky, because the wind is very strong. I think that’s why we saw many drivers making mistakes and due to the high-speed nature, the wind effect is a lot stronger than what we normally have.
“There will be a big improvement between the teams going into Qualifying, and obviously it’s a whole different type of session. We have a night session, we have different tyres, it will be much cooler and the wind will be less strong. But it wasn’t a bad start to the weekend.”
With his title hopes still a mathematical possibility, Aron is racing to keep himself in contention going into the final round of the season at Yas Marina in just over a weeks’ time.
However, he knows that it is a bit of an uphill battle with the 36.5-point deficit to leader Bortoleto, though he hasn’t given up yet after the team’s strong start to this race weekend.
“I need to stay open minded, see how the car is, and just try to deliver as best as we can. We’ve been away from the track for a bit, and this is a new circuit.
READ MORE: PRACTICE: Paul Aron sets the pace for Hitech Pulse-Eight in opening Lusail session
“I know the guys have worked hard and they prepared well, so I’m hoping that it translates into a good result after all the preparation we’ve done. Being on track now and seeing the pace, we were working in the right direction. But still, a lot can change into Qualifying, and I think the session will be very interesting.
“Every weekend is different, there’s a lot that can go wrong and there’s a lot that can go right and a lot that’s not under your control, so it’s very difficult. These are the last two rounds of this season, I’ve had a very good year with Hitech, I’ve enjoyed it a lot and It’s been a lot of fun.
“I just want to enjoy these last two rounds, be present, not think about the outside stuff that I can’t control, just focus on myself. And as long as I do that and if the car allows me, I can perform well. So let’s see. You can only try to do the best you can with the package you have.”