Interview with Théo Pourchaire – “Monaco, I can’t wait!”

Hello Théo, how are you feeling?

It’s going very well, we are eagerly awaiting the next race. But for now, we are back here in Barcelona for three days of testing, so I feel good.

What did you do during your two-week break?

Not much to be honest. Unfortunately, we ended on a sour note in Jeddah, it wasn’t easy to have a break now. But I rested with my family and did a little bit of sports.

Did you do any simulator?

We have prepared for the tests in Barcelona and the race in Imola, we are already preparing for the upcoming races, it’s coming fast and it’s going to be intense.

First victory of the year in Bahrain…

Honestly, it was a good weekend, but we were lucky despite the other mechanical breakdowns. But that’s just how it is, we deal with it. It’s not us who have control over it, neither me nor the team. Nonetheless, I finished second in qualifying and we won the main race. It’s the only time this year that I’ve finished in the points so far.

Is Jeddah a bit more complicated, is your breakdown in qualifying due to your accident?

So yes and no…the accident didn’t help, it’s mostly my fault as the tires were a bit dirty after doing a practice start. I had an accident, that’s how it is. But the breakdown is the same as the one I had the week before in Bahrain during the sprint race. We know there are some reliability issues with the engines, and we can see it here during these tests in Barcelona. While my accident didn’t help, it was highly likely that the breakdown would have occurred anyway.

What are your feelings about these tests in Barcelona?

We’re doing pretty well. We are constantly in the top 3, which is the most important. We don’t know the settings of the others, so we focus on ourselves. Barcelona is a somewhat complicated circuit, but it is a benchmark in terms of performance. Qualifying on this circuit will be very important for the race weekend. We will work on it during the final day. We have also worked a lot on race simulations, the rain has slightly disrupted our program.

You have often mentioned having problems during departures, are you working on that?

We try to find procedures, to always improve. It will never be perfect, but we are improving. Especially with the upcoming weekends (Imola, Barcelona, and Monaco), the starts will be very important because it will be difficult to overtake during the race. In Jeddah, I had a very good start (fastest time from the grid for 0-100km/h). We have to stay calm, keep working, and it will happen.

What do you like to work on? What do you not like to work on?

I prefer doing qualifying simulations over race simulations, that’s for sure. During practice, we do three or four race simulations, which can be physically exhausting, but I enjoy it, just like working on the start and pit stop simulations.

Monaco, are you excited?

I can’t wait! Apart from my performances from last year, Monaco is a magnificent place, one of the best circuits in the world. The audience will also be back at 100%. I think apart from the performances, it’s going to be a great weekend!

Your favorite circuit?

Monaco, of course! Otherwise, in non-urban circuits, I also like Monza and Silverstone!

Do you work on the F1 simulator in Hinwil?

Yes, I’m working on it a little bit. Since the beginning of the season, I haven’t done much of it. I’m focusing 100% on F2, and we are in sync with Alfa Romeo on that. If they call me, I will be ready! But for now, my main goal remains the F2 championship title.

Any news for free practice sessions in Formula 1 with Alfa Romeo?

For the moment, no, it all depends on the rest of the F2 championship. One thing is for sure, I won’t be doing any FP1 during an F2 weekend. Nothing is confirmed yet, we’re also waiting to see if they replace the Russian GP for us.

Next meeting, Imola, have you ever raced there?

No, I have never driven there like most drivers. I have done quite a few simulations. The track looks great but very challenging. One mistake and you could end up off track. It’s going to be an impressive spectacle even if overtaking will probably be difficult.

We greatly thank ART GP and Théo Pourchaire for their time. We wish them success for this season!