The 17-year-old has grown into a future F1 star after becoming the youngest FIA Formula 2 pole sitter and race winner ever during his rookie F2 campaign in Monaco this year.
Pourchaire’s rapid rise in the junior categories has earned him a place in the Sauber Academy for young drivers, which Juan Manuel Correa has just taken back into its ranks after his incredible comeback after life-threatening injuries in Spa in 2019.
The 2019 ADAC Formula 4 champion, Pourchaire, was runner-up in the FIA Formula 3 championship last year, missed the title by four points to Oscar Piastri and is already F2 race winner after six races this year.
Despite his recent successes, the ART Grand Prix driver is realistic about his path into F1 and admits he has a lot to learn before he is ready to take the plunge.
While Vasseur was impressed by Pourchaire’s progress and budding talent, the Alfa Romeo boss believes it is wrong to force the teenager into Formula 1 “too early”.
PLUS: The emergence of an F1 hope rewriting the F2 record books
Alfa Romeo’s driver line-up for 2022 has yet to be finalized with Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi in the final year of their current contracts.
“We have a contract with Theo, but I don’t want to be in a rush with Theo, we have to remember that he is 17,” said Vasseur.
“If you compare yourself to all the other talents coming into F1, they are much older and I don’t want to compare them to Lewis (Hamilton), Nico (Rosberg) or Charles (Leclerc), they were much older and had bigger ones Experience and I think pushing him too soon will be a mistake.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal, Alfa Romeo Racing, at the team principals’ press conference
Photo by: FIA Pool
“He has to do the job in F2 first, then we’ll have time to discuss it later.
“I was impressed by Theo [this year] but I was also impressed by Theo last year.
“It’s a little early for next year as he’s only done three races in Formula 2 and if you remember the guys have been champions in the past or have good results in the first year and the last part of the season.
“He’s more than young, he’s 17 and he’s still chasing the driver’s license and we have to give him time to do the job. We’re in no hurry, but I think he’s a very good one [driver]. “
Pourchaire’s recent F2 appearance ended with the Frenchman breaking his left arm after a collision with Dan Ticktum (Carlin) and Marcus Armstrong (DAMS) in the main race in Baku.
While he revealed last week that he wasn’t sure he could play Formula 2 again at Silverstone next month, Vasseur is pretty confident that his young recruit will get the go-ahead for the weekend of July 16-18 Race is received.
“He had a problem on his arm, but a little pause. He looks okay and the doctor was very optimistic about letting him go to Silverstone, ”he added.
The post Failure to push Pourchaire into F1 too early first appeared on monter-une-startup.
