Théo Pourchaire reflects on his ousting from Indycar
Théo Pourchaire, former McLaren IndyCar driver and Sauber Formula 1 reserve driver, has spoken out following the way his departure was precipitated by the team. The 2023 Formula 2 champion had initially joined Arrow McLaren before being ousted a week later.
On June 18, 2024, Arrow McLaren announced to Théo Pourchaire that he would no longer be part of the Indycar team, replaced by American driver Nolan Siegel who takes his place in the Chevrolet #6. This unexpected replacement had been strongly criticized due to a contract signed with the team the previous week. The young French driver learned the news from his manager before receiving a brief call from the team to confirm his dismissal.
A phone call that changed everything
Interviewed by Auto Hebdo, Pourchaire revealed the way in which he was informed of this decision. “To be totally transparent, McLaren had signed me for a multi-year contract to race with them in IndyCar, then, on Tuesday morning before Laguna Seca, I learned from my manager that they had decided not to let me race at Laguna Seca, nor for the rest of the season,” he explained.
The news left the French driver unhappy, all the more so as he had just signed with the team a few weeks earlier. “I was very surprised at first, I didn’t understand, I thought it was false. We had signed just a few weeks ago. I was disgusted,” he said. According to him, the team’s phone call lasted only a minute. An interview in which he did not receive any additional information about his dismissal. “The team finally called me for a minute, around 11 a.m. on the same day, the day before my scheduled departure for Laguna Seca, to tell me that I was excluded from the program. They did not give me specific reasons.”
A driver with good results
Tony Kanaan, sporting director of Arrow McLaren, responded himself to the controversy, stating that Théo Pourchaire was not responsible, but that the team was there to win and this decision was necessary. “I just told the guys over there: ‘You change race cars all the time. You come, you make a change.’ It’s not that we wanted to do that with the drivers, but here we are. I am here to win races. That’s all that matters to me. And then, I think we will eventually seek to have continuity. He didn’t do anything wrong,” confirmed Kanaan, “it was just a situation. It was a decision we had to make. It wasn’t personal. It wasn’t because of his performance. He did everything he could do. He wasn’t happy, but he understood.”
Theo Pourchaire, who achieved his best result with a 10th place in Detroit during his five races with McLaren, now finds himself without a race seat. A tough blow for the young driver who puts his career on the line. For the moment, still engaged in the Sauber Academy, Theo Pourchaire has not returned to the track despite the team’s efforts to find him a seat.
This hasty departure underlines the ruthless nature of motor racing, as Sauber’s CEO, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, had already pointed out. Despite this setback, Théo Pourchaire remains hopeful of finding a seat this year.
