The making of an F1 hopeful re-writing the F2 record books

He’s not yet old enough to hold a driving licence and still studying at school, but he is the youngest-ever Formula 2 race winner, achieving the feat at Monaco no less. You could forgive 17-year-old Theo Pourchaire for admitting his life is somewhat surreal, for that is very much the reality.

The teenager is signing autographs and posing for photos on the weekend, while focusing on schoolwork during the week, a situation that Pourchaire finds somewhat funny.

“I’m really grateful to see all the fans and I did a lot of pictures and autographs and that was really nice, you know?” he says. “It is a dream come true to win in Monaco. It is a bit surreal to be honest! Now I’m focused on my driver licence and my school exams – and that is not as fun as driving around Monaco!”

However, this could soon become the norm as the Frenchman is fast making a name for himself as a potential Formula 1 star of the future.

Pourchaire has enjoyed a rapid rise to Formula 2 – only two years ago, he was competing in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship in what was only his second year of car racing. He would go on to win the championship at the first time of asking, seeing off Red Bull junior and current FIA Formula 3 points leader Dennis Hauger.

Last year, Pourchaire was snapped up by the renowned ART Grand Prix outfit for what was supposed to be a two-year programme in FIA F3, but such was his rate of progress that he almost snatched the title from Oscar Piastri’s grasp, missing out by just three points after a strong end to the season. As a result, the team founded by current Alfa Romeo F1 team principal Frederic Vasseur as ASM in 2004 rewarded Pourchaire – a member of the Sauber junior programme overseen by Vasseur – with a promotion to F2 and it has only taken six races to score his first victory.

Podium: Race winner Theo Pourchaire, ART Grand Prix

Photo by: Florent Gooden - DPPI

Pourchaire’s triumph in the Monaco feature race came impressively on his debut at the notoriously difficult street circuit, and after he had become the youngest-ever polesitter in F2 (and GP2) history. He would then go to take over the record of youngest-ever race winner from McLaren F1 ace Lando Norris.

So what does it feel like to have achieved this at such a tender age? Pourchaire replies: “It was an incredible weekend for sure. Pole position, winner of the feature race and being the youngest-ever polesitter and youngest-ever race winner in the same weekend as Monaco, it feels so good.

"What I did in Monaco was amazing and I’m really proud, but it is only a step towards my dream. My dream is to be a Formula 1 world champion and I’m really far from that, so I need to work hard every day" Theo Pourchaire

“For me, it is part of the plan, improving myself and always working hard to do results like that. I was vice-champion in F3 and now I am in Formula 2 with ART Grand Prix my goals are the same. I just want to win every time I’m on the track, I know it is very difficult but it is part of the plan.”

Indeed, it is part of a plan that began to take shape when he first sat in a go kart at the age of three.

“At the beginning it was just a hobby,” he says. “We were doing one day per week of go karts just as a hobby, and I was taking pleasure in that.”

But this soon turned into a career and so his dream to become F1 world champion has become a tangible ambition.

“Then I started to do national championships and then Formula 4 and then it started to be my job,” he explains. “My dad was a big fan of rally and also Formula 1. When I was young, I was looking at Michael Schumacher when he was at Ferrari and Fernando Alonso. I remember going to the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 and I can see the pictures that my mum took of me with a Ferrari jacket on – I was a big fan of Schumacher. These are really good memories and they help me to push myself. I’ve always wanted to be racing driver.”

Théo Pourchaire, ART Grand Prix

Photo by: ART Grand Prix

While such success so early in one’s career can sometimes breed complacency, this does not appear to be the case with Pourchaire, who recognises that he has plenty still to learn before he is ready to for an F1 graduation.

“I always say to myself that what I did in Monaco was amazing and I’m really proud, but it is only a step towards my dream,” he says.

“My dream is to be a Formula 1 world champion and I’m really far from that, so I need to work hard every day. I’m only in Formula 2. It Is incredible that I have won a race, but now I’m fully focused on the next race and I know I will learn new things in Baku. I need to learn new things and I need to work hard.

“I need to learn in almost everything, I think. I have improved myself a lot compared to F3 and F4, but I can still improve myself on qualifying pace and tyre management and pitstops as well. The laps after the pitstops when the tyres are cold, I can improve myself there and my starts. There is a lot of areas and I’m conscious of that.”

ART boss Sebastien Philippe has worked with a host of names that have gone on to reach F1, including 2018 F2 champion and Williams driver George Russell, so knows that he has a future star on his hands in Pourchaire. He agrees that his young hot shot has plenty to learn, but one aspect that has impressed Philippe already is Pourchaire's ability to thrive under pressure, a key trait required to be successful in F1.

“With young kids like this I do not like to set goals or to project too much in advance,” says Philippe. “We just try to do the best and to improve each time. I think it is important that he focusses on Baku and then Silverstone after that and at the end of the year we will see where it ends up.

“One of the good qualities that he has is that he performs well under pressure. This is a huge quality. You can see that he is very confident in himself and he is able to manage the pressure very well. We all know that you have to be strong in your mind if you want to succeed and that is a quality he has clearly.”

Theo Pourchaire, ART Grand Prix

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

When asked why Pourchaire has enjoyed so much success at such a young age, Philippe cites his maturity that has allowed his talent to flourish.

“Each person is different, some of them get the maturity very quickly and for some it takes a bit longer,” he says. “At this age between 16-18, nobody grows up the same way from the maturity side. Clearly at this point he is really advanced.

“The good thing with Theo, we have already had some good results but I can see there is still a lot to come from himself because he has low experience and I can see many areas where at the moment he is still not 100%. I think he can really improve in many areas and there is still a lot to come which is what interests me. He should do good.

“Maybe [he will be a star of the future], but we need to stay calm but clearly there is potential. We have to go step by step.”

"He is very confident in himself and he is able to manage the pressure very well. We all know that you have to be strong in your mind if you want to succeed and that is a quality he has clearly" Sebastien Philippe

Pourchaire’s Sauber junior status represents a link to Alfa’s F1 team that could prove valuable in the future. It’s also provided a useful bolstering of his budget and the use of its state-of-the-art Hinwil simulator.

It also appears that Vasseur is a fan and is keeping a close eye on his young driver’s progress, while not burdening him with undue pressure.

“They [Sauber] are letting me do my job,” says Pourchaire. “I have a lot of help from Sauber, financial support and the Formula 1 simulator and I’m really grateful for that. They are not putting pressure on me, they are pushing me to do the best job possible.

Race winner Theo Pourchaire, ART Grand Prix

Photo by: Florent Gooden - DPPI

“Beat Zehnder [Alfa team manager] and Frederic Vasseur are sending me messages, even if I do a bad race or if I have a mechanical problem. They are always behind me which is really good.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s next round at Baku, the success of Monaco is old news and Pourchaire is looking to making new headlines in Azerbaijan.

“I will be a bit more conformable for sure, but it is a completely new story,” he says. “It is a street track, but it is completely different to Monaco.

“I will try to enjoy it. That was big part of my weekend in Monaco and I will try to do the same for Baku. I will try to enjoy and not put so much pressure on myself."

Theo Pourchaire, ART Grand Prix

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images