No promotion
The FIA Gala which took place in recent days in Baku made the title won in Formula 2 by the Frenchman Theo Pourchaire, emerged victorious – despite winning only one race in the entire season – in the duel that saw him opposed to the Dane Frederik Vesti. Despite the triumph in the cadet category of F1, however, the doors of the Circus did not open for Pourchaire.
The ART GP driver, who is part of the Sauber Academy, has in fact not found a way to gsecure a starting seat in Formula 1 for the next year. This is the third consecutive season in which the F2 winner has no way of directly entering the higher category. Before him the same fate had befallen Oscar Piastri – now a successful starter at McLaren – and Felipe Drugovich – still third driver at Aston Martin.
Future in Super Formula
Speaking on the sidelines of the Baku event, Pourchaire did not hide his disappointment: “I think I'm the third F2 champion in a row not to be promoted to F1 – commented – it can happen. It is not an automatic step. But I'm disappointed, to be honest. I am an F2 champion, I have achieved good results in the past. I have done my best. The goal that the Sauber Academy had given me was to win the championship and I did it“.
Compared to what was done before him by Piastri and Drugovich, who agreed to spend at least an entire season in the role of third drivers and test drivers of F1 teams, Pourchaire is destined to take a different path: “Driving an F1 car on test days is nice, but it costs a lot and not all people can afford it. Unfortunately I think that won't be the case for me with the Sauber Academy. So I will try to find a place in a good league. There Super Formula it's the best option for me”.
Looking to 2025
Pourchaire's goal, which also paid for having won the 'solo' category title in the third year of militancy in F2, he is now fbe ready for the 2025 seasonwhen many F1 teams may have vacant seats: “At the end of 2024 there will be many drivers without contracts – he concluded – that's why I want to continue racing in a championship and also demonstrate to the Formula 1 paddock that I am capable of being very fast and that I deserve a place there.”.
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