2023 Formula 2 Champion Theo Pourchaire has been signed by Maserati MSG Racing for next week’s Formula E rookie test in Jeddah.

Pourchaire, whose most recent racing came in the IndyCar series with Arrow McLaren, will be the Italian marque’s choice for the FP0 session, scheduled to take place on February 13, one day before race one of the inaugural double-header weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

As well as graduating from the Sauber Academy along with Lola-Yamaha-ABT’s Zane Maloney upon the conclusion of last year, the Frenchman is also a new test driver for the Peugeot TotalEnergies team in the World Endurance Championship, which fields FE stalwarts Jean-Éric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne, as well as Cupra Kiro’s choice for the test, Mikkel Jansen.

Pourchaire has previous experience with an FE car, having tested the then-new GEN3 model in May 2022, and may use the test as a potential inroad into the series in the future, with no race seats currently in the offing in any other category.

In a statement, Pourchaire said: I’m really proud to have this opportunity with Maserati MSG Racing. Maserati is an iconic car brand and I’m very happy to be working with Maserati MSG Racing – the team has done fantastic work in the past.

“I also really like working with new people, everyone has made me feel very welcome so far.  This will be the first time for me driving a Formula E car during a race weekend and I can’t wait to get out on the Jeddah track, to be in the car and to be working with the team on the ground.

“I’ve done some work with the team in the simulator to prepare myself as well as possible, but nothing compares with the real thing.

“I know the Jeddah track from F2, I’ve raced there three times in the past but on a slightly different configuration and in a very different car but I do think knowing the track a little helps especially when I will be in a new car with a new team.

“Overall, I’m excited to get on track, show what I can do, help the team and hopefully have fun!”

READ MORE – Jaguar announces Jamie Chadwick for Formula E Jeddah test

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Theo Pourchaire has joined the Peugeot Sport FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar team as a test and development driver.

The 21-year-old Frenchman has joined the Hypercar squad after participating in the post-season WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain.

Pourchaire took to the wheel of a Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar on the day after the 8 Hours of Bahrain finale.

With Malthe Jakobsen stepping up to a full-time seat for the 2025 season, Pourchaire has taken his place as a junior driver in the team.

Pourchaire said: “I am very excited to join Peugeot Sport as a development driver for the upcoming season; this is an incredible opportunity.

“I see it as a fresh start, as endurance racing is a new challenge for me.

“I really enjoyed the Rookie Test in Bahrain, which went very well.

“The Peugeot 9X8 is a very powerful car, unlike anything I’ve driven before.

“Endurance cars are highly advanced and cutting-edge in terms of technology, making them similar to Formula 1 cars.

“Being a test driver is a fantastic opportunity, and I’m grateful to Team Peugeot TotalEnergies for offering me this chance.

“I can’t wait to begin this new role.”



Technical director of Peugeot Sport, Olivier Jansonnie, added:
”We are delighted to welcome Theo Pourchaire to Team Peugeot TotalEnergies as a development driver.

“During the Rookie Test in Bahrain, he demonstrated great potential and an in-depth understanding of our car’s unique features.

“Theo brings a fresh perspective thanks to his single-seater experience, which is a valuable asset for the development of our endurance program.

“We are eager to work with him and fully integrate him into our team.”

A new chapter for Pourchaire in sportscars

Pourchaire never drove a sportscar before he joined Peugeot in Bahrain.

He established his motorsport career in single-seaters.

In 2023, he became the FIA Formula 2 champion and participated in selected outings in the 2024 IndyCar season.

Pourchaire will participate in private testing sessions and contribute to the technical development of the Peugeot 9X8.

During the second round of the now-completed 2024 season, Peugeot unveiled a heavily revised 9X8 which most notably featured a rear wing.

He will also be in a position to step in should a regular WEC team driver be unavailable for a race.

At the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, a Formula E clash prompted the team against using an additional pair of hands.

Nevertheless, Pourchaire has taken on his newfound role as a solid entry point into top level sportscar racing.

READ MORE: WEC releases 2025 provisional entry list featuring newcomers

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Arrow McLaren has announced that Theo Pourchaire will replace Alexander Rossi for the remainder of the IndyCar event weekend in Toronto.

Rossi ran wide on the exit of Turn 8 during Friday’s practice session, and he was seen clutching his hand in the cockpit after the steering wheel whipped around during the contact.

It was later confirmed that Rossi broke his right thumb and would not be able to compete for the rest of the weekend.

Pourchaire will step into the #7 entry for Saturday’s qualifying and for the race on Sunday, missing today’s practice as he travels from Europe to Toronto.

The choice is particularly interesting, as Pourchaire drove for Arrow McLaren earlier in the season.

The 20-year-old veteran of F2 raced for a couple events in the team’s #6 entry while it was still deciding the long-term plan in the wake of David Malukas’ pre-season injury.

Pourchaire was then told that he was going to be with the team for the remainder of the season, but that was taken back just a few weeks later when the team announced that Nolan Siegel would be taking over the entry.

There has been speculation that Arrow McLaren and Pourchaire did not end their relationship on good terms, especially considering he was promised a nearly full season in IndyCar only to have that taken away, but a recent social media post by Pourchaire denied those rumors.

The late driver change continues a remarkable season full of discontinuity within the team, with Pato O’Ward being the only stable driver all season in the #5 car.

Rossi is fortunate that there is a large break on the IndyCar schedule following this weekend’s race in Toronto, and he will have until August 16 until the next official on track session.

He and the team will hope he can be fully healed by that time in order to compete in the race from World Wide Technology Raceway.

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Arrow McLaren has announced that it is giving Nolan Siegel control of the team’s #6 entry for the remainder of the 2024 IndyCar season and beyond.

Siegel will contest the 10 races remaining on the calendar, beginning with this weekend’s race from Laguna Seca, and has a multi-year contract with his new team.

The young California-native was a last-minute replacement at Juncos Hollinger Racing for Agustin Canapino during the Road America weekend, abandoning his IndyNXT ride for the weekend. He will now also forego the rest of his season in the feeder series in order to fulfill his new duties in the top series.

The move to promote Siegel into Arrow McLaren comes at the expense of Theo Pourchaire, who has been with the team for five races this season and was planning to race in the car for the remainder of the year.

“Stability and sustained growth are key to our long-term game plan here, and this is a significant step in that mission,” said team principal Gavin Ward.

“First, I want to thank Theo for his time filling in on the No. 6 car with us in recent weeks. We’ve been working through musical chairs all season, and ultimately, making this change to Nolan now that he’s available gives us the chance to build a foundation for the future.

“He is a young, talented driver with an immense amount of experience at this stage of his career and we’re excited to continue on the upward journey together.”

The #6 entry had been in flux since David Malukas was injured before the start of the season, with Callum Ilott and Pourchaire each taking on a couple races.

Shortly before the Indy 500, Arrow McLaren announced that Pourchaire had earned a place in the car for the remainder of the season, but that no longer appears to be the case.

Malukas was let go after missing four races due to his injury, but there does not appear to be a clear reason for Pourchaire’s departure following his first five IndyCar races apart from making room for Siegel to come in with immediate effect.

“I’m looking forward to jumping right in with the Arrow McLaren team this week and confirming my place in the NTT IndyCar Series in papaya moving forward,” said Siegel.

“This is an unexpected jump, but I’m thrilled to be in this position after a rewarding run in the Indy NXT by Firestone series with HMD Motorsports. I am looking forward to this new journey and learning alongside the entire team starting this weekend in my home state.”

Siegel, who is only 19 years old, has been climbing through the ranks quickly in the past couple years.

He finished fourth in the USF Pro 2000 series in 2022, then advanced to IndyNXT in 2023 and earned third place in the championship as a rookie.

This year, he has been competing in IndyNXT while also racing in the Dale Coyne Racing #51 on weekends where IndyNXT does not have a concurrent event. He dramatically was bumped out of this year’s Indy 500, and was not able to make his first race start in the prestigious event.

Siegel has also been continuing his advancement in the sportscar world, running with Sean Creech Motorsports in the team’s LMP2 endurance campaign and winning the class victory in last weekend’s 24 Hours of LeMans.

This promotion effectively ends his run in IndyNXT, where he sat fourth in the points after nearly half of the season completed with HMD Motorsports, and also ends his part-time IndyCar arrangement with Dale Coyne.

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Argentinian fans of Juncos Hollinger driver Agustin Canapino have been making threats against Theo Pourchaire in the wake of this past weekend’s Detroit Grand Prix.

Public acknowledgement of the online abuse came to light Monday evening when Arrow McLaren released a joint statement with JHR denouncing the behavior.

The incident that caused the apparent anger came on one of the race’s many restarts on lap 60. Pourchaire misjudged his braking zone into the hairpin, slid sideways while trying to keep has car under control, and then collided with Canapino as the Argentinian was attempting to turn into the corner.

Canapino was running sixth at the time and lost three positions due to the contact, while Pourchaire was given a penalty by race control for the incident.

The contact was not even one of the most memorable moments in the race, which featured eight caution periods and multiple instances of drivers making the same mistake as Pourchaire.

“The past 24 hours have unfortunately provided our teams with a stark reminder about the necessity for respect and civility in our online interactions,” the joint Arrow McLaren and Juncos Hollinger Racing statement read.

“Social media allows us to engage with our fans around the world, but it is important that we interact with each other in a respectful and safe environment. We will not tolerate any form of abuse or discrimination, and those participating in such actions are not welcome in our online community and will be blocked. 

“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES delivers dynamic action on the racetrack and incredible access for fans, but we must remember that behind the wheel, the pit wall or the monitor, we are all human beings. 

“It is vital that we collectively maintain a safe and welcoming community for all involved.”

This is not the first instance of online abuse being aimed at drivers who have had on-track battles with the Argentinian driver since he joined IndyCar in 2023.

His fans attacked Callum Ilott virtually over two separate incidents last year when he was a team-mate to the then-rookie Canapino.

The abuse last season led to statements being made by JHR and IndyCar, acknowledging that the conduct exhibited by fans of the popular driver had no place in the American series.

It appears that Pourchaire has received a similar level of hate directed his way in the day following this weekend’s race.

“I’m sad I received so much hate and death threats in the last 24 hours for such a small incident in the Detroit GP,” read Pourchaire’s social media post.

“I hope people can understand that we are all humans and we can make mistakes. But it’s not normal to abuse people online.. Please be kind to each other”

At the time of publication, five hours after the joint statement was released on Arrow McLaren’s website, Juncos Hollinger Racing has not posted the statement on its platforms.

There is no mention of the abuse, or of the statement denouncing it, on Juncos’ website, and the team’s social media pages have only re-shared the post that was originally made by Arrow McLaren.

Canapino has also remained silent so far, and has not acknowledged the abuse or the team’s statement.

JHR co-owner Ricardo Juncos appeared to have a cavalier attitude about the incidents last season, particularly when speaking with Argentinian news outlets.

Ricardo Juncos has not yet made any public comments about this latest example of fans of his countryman driver overstepping acceptable levels of commentary.

[Update] On Tuesday morning, Juncos Hollinger Racing released its own statement on social media, as did Agustin Canapino.

Notably, Canapino’s response indicates that he has not seen the death threats himself and goes on to say that he ‘won’t allow’ accusations of improper behavior to continue.

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Arrow McLaren has revealed its driver for the #6 entry for most of the remainder of the 2024 IndyCar Season, with Theo Pourchaire climbing behind the wheel for all remaining races except for the Indy 500.

Pourchaire will take the reins for 13 rounds throughout the season, filling in for most of the races David Malukas was originally scheduled to run.

A hand injury Malukas sustained in February has taken longer to heal than originally thought, and the team decided that it needed to name a more permanent replacement for the 22-year-old.

Pourchaire was called in for two races in the first portion of the season, and did well enough, including 11th on debut in Long Beach, to earn a role with the team for the remainder for the year.

The Frenchman remains as reserve driver for the Sauber F1 team, but will forego the rest of the Super Formula season to concentrate on his task in IndyCar.

As part of his assignment stateside, the reigning F2 champion will be tasked with racing on a few oval tracks for the first time in his career.

Pourchaire recently completed his first oval test around Gateway last week, and related that he was nervous and a bit intimidated at first.

By the end of the test, however, he was more confident and expressed a lot of excitement for his first oval race, which is scheduled for July 13 at Iowa Speedway.

“We’re excited to continue working with Théo,” said Team Principal Gavin Ward. “He proved to be a quick learner, and we believe his skillset and learning mindset will support his development as he gets more comfortable racing in the NTT IndyCar Series.

“Now, it’s about continuing to grow and turning those learnings into results alongside the No. 6 team.”

Arrow McLaren did not announce a driver for the Indianapolis 500, which is only two weeks away, promising that news is coming on that front in the near future.

The first race of the team’s new arrangement takes place this weekend, with the Sonsio Grand Prix scheduled for Saturday afternoon around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

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Arrow McLaren announced Tuesday morning that Theo Pourchaire will driver for the team for a second race this upcoming weekend.

The 2023 F2 champion made his IndyCar debut last weekend at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, impressing his team and competitors with a strong drive.

The 20-year-old had not piloted an IndyCar before the timed sessions of the race weekend, with a single simulator session and video review his only forms of preparation.

Despite that lack of experience, Pourchaire climbed from 22nd to 11th in the race. He finished as the highest placing rookie, and also gained the most positions of any driver in the field.

His performance likely helped Arrow McLaren make the decision to bring him back for a second race, although he had already been planning for that possibility since he was initially approached by the team a couple weeks ago.

Pourchaire’s services are required because the team’s contracted driver David Malukas continues to recover from a broken wrist he suffered in late February.

The timeline for his recovery was initially estimated to be six weeks, but that has dragged on longer and the extent of his injuries appear to be bigger than were initially known.

The latest word from the team did not commit to anything in the way of plans beyond this upcoming weekend, with the driver for the #6 entry for the Month of May seemingly entirely dependent on Malukas’ recovery.

“David Malukas continues to recover from a left wrist injury and surgery,” read the latest release from the team. “Arrow McLaren will maintain their evaluation of David’s health and will share updates as appropriate.”

Malukas is reported to be having the pins removed from his injured hand this week, which is a crucial step in his journey to climbing back behind the wheel.

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Theo Pourchaire is in the middle of his first IndyCar race weekend, filling in for an injured David Malukas for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Malukas was originally scheduled to be fully healed from his broken wrist by this time, but his recovery timeline has been pushed back as doctors continue to evaluate his progress.

Arrow McLaren left the announcement for Pourchaire’s debut until very late, but the young driver had been preparing for the opportunity for a couple weeks.

His social media posts revealed that he was in Indianapolis and was taking part in a simulator session, both serving to fuel speculation that the reigning F2 champ was preparing to fill in for Malukas this weekend.

In an interview session ahead of his first laps around the Long Beach street course, Pourchaire revealed that he is in line to fill in next weekend at Barber Motorsports Park as well should Malukas not be ready by that time.

“So basically Sauber contacted me just to let me know that Arrow McLaren wanted me to drive for the next two races, to replace David,” said Pourchaire, explaining how the deal came about. “I mean, he’s injured. Now hopefully he can get back soon.

“Yeah, I’m here just to try for this race without any experience. So I said yes, of course, it’s an amazing opportunity. Either I don’t drive or I have this amazing opportunity. For me, it was amazing.

“Then, of course, Zak [Brown] contacted me as well. I said yes, of course I want to drive. It’s McLaren, it’s amazing. For me, it’s an amazing opportunity.

Pourchaire was then asked to clarify if he has been brought in for two races or just the one that was announced, to which he replied, “I’m racing in Long Beach, then we will see if David is getting better. This will depend on David.”

Malukas has already missed out on a lot of driving with his new team on account of his injury. He has been with the team for all the events, but has been relegated to the pit box with a brace on his left hand.

Callum Ilott has filled in as driver for the #6 entry for a majority of the year’s track time, including for the season opening Grand Prix of St. Pete and the Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge.

Ilott returned with Arrow McLaren for the Indy 500 open test last week, but was unable to run this weekend’s race at Long Beach on account of previous commitments in the WEC.

Pourchaire has stepped up to the challenge so far, placing 21st out of 27 drivers in the opening practice session Friday afternoon despite never having driven an IndyCar at all beforehand.

The short time he has had to prepare has been spent learning as much as he can from videos and asking questions of IndyCar veterans within the Arrow McLaren team.

“I think it was probably two weeks ago, two and a half weeks ago,” further explained Pourchaire about how his deal came about. “I was in France doing nothing. Some physical preparation for my next Super Formula race.

“Yeah, I received the call. It was an amazing news. Then I book the flight straight to Indianapolis, then I worked with the team.

“It’s been a last-minute call, of course. It’s okay. It’s even better like this. I love it. It’s an amazing surprise. It was an amazing surprise.”

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Arrow McLaren has announced that the reigning Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire will make his IndyCar debut this weekend at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Pourchaire, who is currently a reserve driver for the Sauber F1 team, will drive the #6 Arrow McLaren entry on the city streets just outside Los Angeles and will help the team earn valuable points for the second race of the 2024 season.

The 20-year-old is being called in to sub for an injured David Malukas, who has not yet recovered from the broken wrist he suffered while mountain biking in February.

“This is an amazing opportunity to drive with such a legendary team in a legendary motorsport series like the NTT IndyCar Series,” said Pourchaire in the release.

“I’ve watched IndyCar since I was a young kid, and the racing is incredible. I was thrilled to get the call from the team. I’m grateful that Zak [Brown], Gavin [Ward] and Tony [Kanaan] thought of me for this opportunity and for the team at Sauber to allow me to get on track at Long Beach.

“I am also sorry that it’s as David continues to recover. It’s not going to be an easy task, but I’m ready for it.”

Callum Ilott was the substitute driver for the opening round in St. Petersburg and also for the exhibition event from the Thermal Club, but he is not available for the upcoming event.

Ilott accepted a role contesting the full 2024 WEC season with Hertz Team Jota, and will be competing in the 6 Hours of Imola on that weekend.

Pourchaire has been in America over the past couple weeks, and tested in the Chevrolet simulator with team Sporting Director Tony Kanaan and Kyle Larson also present.

The young French driver will be carrying the Onsemi livery on his car, the first time the design has been used for the 2024 season.

“It’s a shame that David’s recovery is longer than we all originally anticipated,” said Gavin Ward.

“He’s been working with our team trainer very closely with what rehab and strength exercises are possible at this point, and the team’s been doing a great job in the meantime to work together through the changes they’ve had since his injury.

“Theo may be an unexpected driver in the IndyCar paddock this season, but we’re excited to see what he can do on the track in Long Beach and are thankful for Sauber in working with us to make it happen.

“He has a strong resume, especially for his young age, and he’s eager to work with us and put his driving to the test in the NTT IndyCar Series.”

It is not yet known if Malukas will be recovered in time for the following weekend’s race at Barber Motorsports Park, and Arrow McLaren has deferred announcement of the driver for that race until next week.

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Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire will compete in Super Formula next year after admitting he was “disappointed” to miss out on a 2024 Formula 1 seat.

Pourchaire drove in the official post-season test in the Japanese series earlier this month and it has been announced he will drive for the Toyota-powered Team Inpul side.

The Frenchman will become the second driver to make the switch from F2, with Red Bull academy prospect Ayumu Iwasa confirmed on the 2024 Super Formula grid.

Ex-McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne previously embarked upon a season in Super Formula in 2016 ahead of making his F1 bow the following year, ending fourth overall.

Red Bull have often utilised the series, with Pierre Gasly, now at Alpine in F1, ending up only half a point adrift of taking the 2017 title after winning GP2 the previous year.

Meanwhile, Liam Lawson, who was handed his F1 debut with AlphaTauri amid Daniel Ricciardo’s injury this year, also ended up runner-up in Japan in the past campaign.

Pourchaire’s move to Japan’s premier single-seater category comes amid his desire to conduct a full-time racing schedule in 2024 after being overlooked for an F1 seat.

Despite clinching the F2 title at the third attempt in Abu Dhabi, the 20-year-old became the third consecutive second-tier champion to not earn a promotion to the top flight.

Pourchaire has been associated with the Sauber development programme since 2019, but the Hinwil-based outfit opted to retain both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou.

Speaking at the FIA Prize Giving Gala in Baku last week, Pourchaire voiced his disappointment at missing out after achieving the objective Sauber had set out for him.

“I think I’m the third F2 champion in a row to not be promoted to F1,” he said. “Which, it can happen. It’s not because you are an F2 champion that you will have a place in F1.

“But I’m disappointed, to be honest. Because I’m an F2 champion, I did some good results in the past. I did my best.

“The goal that the Sauber Academy told me was to win the championship – and I did it. So it’s like this.”

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