Sauber Academy driver and F2 race winner, Theo Pourchaire, will make his F1 free follow debut subsequent week, driving the Alfa Romeo on the Circuit of the Americas.
The younger Frenchman, who has been a member of the Sauber Academy since 2019, will take over Valtteri Bottas’s C42 through the first session, as a part of the younger driver outings mandated by F1 for the reason that starting of the season.
Pourchaire had his first style of Components One equipment final 12 months on the Hungaroring, as he drove the 2019 Alfa Romeo C38 in a personal testing session, impressing the group together with his skilled strategy and by adapting rapidly to the automobile.
Presently sitting in second place within the Components 2 Championship standings with 164 factors, Pourchaire had an excellent sophomore 12 months within the collection, claiming three wins and 7 podiums with nonetheless two races to go.
His profession will take an additional step ahead in 2023, as effectively, as, along with sustaining his place throughout the Sauber Academy, the Frenchman will even tackle the position of one in every of Alfa Romeo’s reserve drivers for the season.
“Theo has been delivering nice performances over the course of this season,” mentioned Frederic Vasseur, “in addition to through the earlier years: now we have been working intently with him for nearly 4 years now, as a member of our Academy, and now we have been impressed by his fixed progress and improvement as a driver first and, equally importantly, as an individual. We’re delighted to offer him his first Free Apply outing subsequent week: it is a well-deserved alternative, and I am assured he’ll as soon as once more impress us together with his performances, as he’ll assist the group collect helpful knowledge forward of america Grand Prix.”
“Ever since he joined the Sauber Academy again in 2019, Theo has proven spectacular progress,” added Beat Zehnder, Alfa Romeo’s Sporting Director. “He has been a title winner in 2019 and a contender in 2020 in F3; in F2, notably this season, he is given his all and was within the battle for the title for many of the championship. He’s, with none doubt, one of the vital promising younger drivers coming by way of the ranks, and it is a pleasure for us to lastly see him stepping up and incomes his first Components One Free Apply outing. From the very starting he impressed us together with his skilled strategy and dedication to all the time give his easiest on- and off-track, and we will not wait to see him additional unlocking his potential on observe.”
“I’m thrilled to be making my free follow debut in Austin,” mentioned Pourchaire, “it is going to be my second time behind the wheel of a Components One automobile, however in some methods, it is going to really feel prefer it’s the primary time, as this time it is going to be throughout an official Grand Prix session. It appears like a dream coming true, and I need to thank Alfa Romeo F1 Crew ORLEN for placing their belief in me and granting me this superb alternative: I’m trying ahead to being on observe, and I’ll make sure that to get probably the most out of it and to do my greatest to help the group as they put together for america Grand Prix.”
