Théo Pourchaire, reserve driver for Alfa Romeo in 2023, reacts to his first laps in F1

Théo Pourchaire is currently second in the Formula 2 championship, which will have its final round in Abu Dhabi in a few weeks. In the meantime, he was able to participate in his first Formula 1 test sessions at the wheel of the Alfa Romeo loaned by Bottas in Austin.

At the end of Free Practice 1, on the radio, Pourchaire pushed an incredible « and thanked his team. « Thank you so much, it’s been a great experience. I’m a bit far », referring to his 18th position, 4 seconds behind the leader that day.

Frederic Vasseur commented on the session carried out by his protégé: “What is certain is that you shouldn’t break the car because we have FP2 coming up. We tell them, you know, nobody will pay attention to your performances, but that’s not true, everyone is watching. And if they are not capable of handling this kind of pressure, what will it be like in Monaco on a starting grid…”

Pourchaire was very impressed and cautious. What impressed me the most behind the wheel was the management of traffic. When we are on the radio, they announce a driver 5-7 seconds ahead, but they actually arrive after two turns, so you really have to quickly get out of the way. It’s impressive, especially in sector 1. The succession of corners is super fast, it’s even a little scary sometimes.

“Theo has achieved remarkable performances during this season, as well as in previous years: we have been working closely with him for nearly four years now, as a member of our Academy, and we have been impressed by his constant progress and development as a driver first and foremost, and equally importantly, as a person,” explained Fred Vasseur, the team boss, two weeks ago.

After these first 19 laps in F1, Vasseur wants to reassure: « He was a little surprised by the bumps on the track, it shook him a bit, and he has difficulties with the brakes but I would say that these are normal things for a debut in F1.

What is the future for Théo Pourchaire?

Théo Pourchaire, currently second in F2, does not have a seat in F1. He will therefore take on the role of reserve driver for Alfa Romeo next season and is unsure if he will compete in another championship. For example, Pierre Gasly raced in Formula E while waiting for a seat at Toro Rosso.

We have also seen Nyck de Vries, the future AlphaTauri driver in 2023, racing in Formula E this season while waiting to secure a seat after leaving F2. Oscar Piastri also had to wait a season before finding a seat. Therefore, the goal for Pourchaire is to become a full-time driver for an F1 team in the 2024 season.