Sauber junior Théo Pourchaire to make his FP1 debut at the US GP with Alfa Romeo

Sauber junior Théo Pourchaire to make his FP1 debut at the US GP with Alfa Romeo

Théo Pourchaire during the Hungaroring tests in 2021 (IMAGO / PanoramiC)

Sauber junior driver Théo Pourchaire will be making his FP1 debut in Austin. The Frenchman currently sits second in Formula 2, some way off Felipe Drugovich but in a fairly comfortable position as the season reaches its end. Driving in FP1 will go a long way towards achieving his ambitions of one day driving in Formula 1.

Pourchaire is a very highly rated talent for a future seat in F1. In Sauber’s announcement post, The Frenchman expressed his delight at being granted the opportunity: “I am thrilled to be making my Free Practice debut in Austin; it will be my second time behind the wheel of a Formula One car, but in some ways, it will feel like it’s the first time, as this time it will be during an official Grand Prix session.”

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Pourchaire further said: “It feels like a dream coming true, and I want to thank Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN for putting their trust in me and granting me this amazing opportunity: I am looking forward to being on track, and I will make sure to get the most out of it and to do my best to support the team as they prepare for the United States Grand Prix.” and fans are just as delighted as him.

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Also Read: “We will catch up step by step,” Valtteri Bottas believes that Alfa Romeo can catch up with the top teams

Théo Pourchaire receiving the love of the fans

Théo Pourchaire
Théo Pourchaire

Alfa Romeo’s team principal, Frédéric Vasseur was confident that Théo Pourchaire will certainly deliver next weekend: “We are delighted to give him his first Free Practice outing next week: it’s a well-deserved opportunity, and I’m confident he will once again impress us with his performances, as he will help the team gather valuable data ahead of the United States Grand Prix.”

Moreover, the team also announced that he will take his place as a reserve driver in 2023. He will join Williams’ Logan Sargeant and Ferrari’s Robert Shwartzman in making their own Grand Prix weekend debuts in Austin. Fans also feel that the opportunity has been a long time coming, and the news has generally been taken in a very positive manner.

One fan outright suggested (though perhaps jokingly) that Pourchaire should straight up get a seat at the main team. It’s certainly a possibility in the future.

https://twitter.com/GregDrouYT/status/1580530975380889601?s=20&t=8IuFrUDJwqqR-Vru0gKY1Q

The news was received with elation, with fans expressing their excitement at finally seeing Pourchaire this season.

But there was also a jest. Alfa Romeo have often had trouble with reliability issues this year, which have partly stemmed from their engine supplier, Ferrari.

Translation: ‘I laugh if the car stays in the garage all FP1 following a problem.’

The Formula 1 world will be keenly watching on to see what the Frenchman can do in his maiden FP1 session, where he will replace Valtteri Bottas.

Also Read: “He has dealt with everything really well,” Valtteri Bottas extremely pleased with Zhou Guanyu extending his stay at Alfa Romeo

Also Read: ‘They didn’t help us’: Frederic Vasseur rues Ferrari PU reliability issues plaguing Alfa Romeo