Photo: Alfa Romeo
Theo Pourchaire took two wins as a Formula 2 rookie, then three in his sophomore campaign. This year he has only won once, but could trump that by claiming the title.
The ART Grand Prix driver won the opening feature race of 2023 at Bahrain from pole, and took his third career F2 pole last time out at Monza. He converted that into third place to arrive at this weekend’s title decider with a 25-point lead.
“I think I will be driving like usual,” he said ahead of the Abu Dhabi finale. “I’m fighting for a title. I prefer to to win the title than to win the Abu Dhabi [feature race], you know? I would try to to do both, if possible: win the race and the title. I will give my best.
“I will be careful in some situations. Race starts it can be dangerous. I don’t want to do big mistakes. But in my head, I just want to enjoy it, drive like I know to drive.
“This year we won only one race, which on the paper seems not a lot, but it’s a feature race. I always qualified really well, so I didn’t have a chance to win a sprint race. I prefer to do what I what I did, qualifying well and to fight for podiums in the feature race, take some good points in the sprint race. That’s more important.
“I think I’ve shown great consistency, no big mistakes this season, really clean on my driving, which is what I really wanted to do. I’m proud of this. It’s not easy to be that consistent in F2, to be always at the front. For sure I would like a second win, [and] I think we can do it this weekend.”
In the four F2 races he has done at Yas Marina Circuit previously, his finishes have been one fourth place and two ninths.
He added: “It’s really important to show to the F1 paddock that I’m able to be fast, win races, do pole positions, but also keep the car on the track, sometimes when I’m not fast to take some little points that are really important in the championship, to be clever on the overtaking.”
Pourchaire still regards his maiden F2 win, in the 2021 Monaco feature race from pole, as his best and his consistent podium-taking form this year has put him on the edge of what his backers at Sauber have long wanted him to do: become F2 champion.
There was a time when the Alfa Romeo Racing team it runs said the F2 title would take Pourchaire to a Formula 1 seat, but that stopped being the case this year. The 20-year-old now looks beyond 2024 to achieve his dream.
“I’m young and I still have the time and I know I will have an [F1 race] opportunity in the future,” he stated confidently in the Yas Marina paddock while wearing his Alfa Romeo overalls, since he will drive in F1 practice this weekend.