Interview with Théo Pourchaire, 2nd in the running for the F2 title: “I’m going to do everything I can to win.”

What is your feeling about this weekend? Is the circuit layout advantageous for you or could it make your task more complicated?

It’s a circuit that I know well, where I have raced many times, where I won in F4 in 2019, and in F3 for my first victory in 2020, and where I was present in F2 last year (he finished 2nd for the sprint race and 13th for the feature race, Editor’s Note). It didn’t go very well, but I was fast and I think it’s a circuit appreciated by all drivers for good races: there are overtaking opportunities, there are long straight lines, so I hope for a good weekend, I’m rather optimistic. Of course, it also depends on the weather. They forecast some rain, it could be dry in between, so that always adds something. But I’m ready.

During the sprint race in Barcelona, what was your strategy to go from ninth position to second place?

It’s true that it was a very peculiar race because we started on wet tires, it was raining heavily. I couldn’t see anything at the beginning in the peloton and then the track started to dry very quickly. Us drivers didn’t necessarily see it because the color of the track remained the same, but the tires were degrading quickly, overheating, so we had to go through the pit lane to change tires. I did it just before the safety car came out, in the end, I didn’t lose too much time with that, considering the big gaps on the track. I warmed up my tires well, I had a good restart, we saw the two overtakes I made after the restart. That allowed me to finish second. I tried to give it all to overtake Frederik Vesti, but well, it didn’t work out, unfortunately.

How would you describe your driving style and how does it influence your approach to races?

I think that I am rather someone who is quite calm and takes my time, which is a big advantage sometimes, but it can also be a disadvantage in certain situations. I have worked a lot on this aspect this year, on finding my rhythm and trying to be more aggressive in certain situations, and it has worked quite well. For example, the restart in Barcelona, where I managed to overtake two drivers in three corners. It’s true that in Formula 2 we only have one free practice session of 45 minutes, which gives us about ten laps maximum, considering warm-up times and traffic on the track, and all that. So you have to quickly find your rhythm. These are things that I struggled with a bit last year, but I have improved a lot now. So yes, I am someone who is quite calm and composed.

Could it be said that you are rather opposed to your teammate at ART Grand Prix, Victor Martins?

Yes, it’s true, we still have two different styles (laughs). Him, I think, is a bit of the opposite, so in the end, it’s good for the team, it’s complementary, they have a bit of both.

Are you learning from each other? For example, do you bring some of your calmness to Victor, and vice versa?

Exactly. Naturally, because one must learn from their teammates, one must make use of them. I’m fortunate that he is fast. Of course, it’s more complicated for me because I have to be even faster to beat him. But inevitably, it helps me because he teaches me certain things, it’s only positive.

The battle with Vesti for first place is quite tough. How do you handle the pressure and expectations that come with this rivalry and the championship race?

Yes, it’s going to be a big rivalry, for sure. Until the end, I think. He is with Prema, which is a very, very good team. I think they have done a great job since this year. He is in his second year, he has gained a lot of experience. Last year, he was my teammate, I learned from him. He also learned a lot from me (laughs), and now he is up against me. But he is someone I appreciate. In the paddock, he is one of the few drivers I get along with the best, he is really a nice person. But on the track, it’s different, the tension will inevitably rise because we will fight on the track for the title, and I will do everything to win.

When you say that you have learned from him, are there any lessons that you have been able to draw from this experience to try to beat him in the race?

Yes, of course. After all, each driver has their own style of driving, attacking, defending on the track. And it’s something that I try to study before each weekend, that I also learn from weekend to weekend, by battling with certain drivers on the track. So with Vesti, I know approximately how he acts on the track. I can anticipate what he’s going to do. He must do the same with me, trying to understand how I work. I hope there will be a great battle until the end. And especially, I hope that I will be the one to win!

Do you consider that 2023 is so far your best season in motorsport?

It’s a very good season, that’s for sure. I think all the seasons have been really important from the start. After that, this one, I had a good start, I’m on five podiums, one victory. I hope to do better, to continue on this momentum and it will be the best season if the result at the end is very good.

To come back a little on your role as a reserve driver at Alfa Romeo, what are your overall missions and how does it compare to your work in F2?

It takes a lot of time, it’s a lot of work. But it’s a huge opportunity for me to be a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo because it’s an F1 team, I can learn a lot from them. I’m always in the simulator. If they ever need me on a weekend with Formula 2, I can drive the car. I have prepared myself to the maximum. However, it’s not simple if it were to happen. I hope both drivers will do well to compete in all the Grand Prix (laughs). But well, I have prepared myself for that. It’s a great opportunity, I thank them because it’s also thanks to them that I’m racing in F2, and I hope to go to F1 with them.

Does working in the F1 simulator also help you with F2?

Yes, it definitely helps me because we try a lot of things. It’s a car that goes faster. The F1 is more technical, harder to drive, and of course, it helps me for the F2. So I try to gather as much information and things that can help me in the F2. So yeah, it remains different, anyway. And then Formula 1 is another world. There are a lot more engineers, a lot more people working there. In F2, I only have two engineers, and it’s more like a family here. Whereas Formula 1 is really like a big factory where many people work. So as a rookie, it’s more complicated to integrate and work, to have the right relationships and to get to know everyone, which is important, and something that I’m managing to do this year. I spend more time in Switzerland, at the factory, trying to get to know the people, the mechanics, the engineers. In return, more and more people also know me, which is important for me to feel integrated.

Exactly, what impact does living near the factory have on your way of interacting with the team, your development as a driver, and your understanding of the world of F1?

Yes, it’s very important to me. Because already, as I said, the relationship between all the people who work at Alfa Romeo and me, it will be easier. If one day I manage to go to F1 with them, they will already know me a little, which is a huge advantage because there are over 500 people working there. Knowing the people a little, working with them, it’s time saved, it’s performance gained in the end. I hope to be a driver for them one day and it’s very nice to be there in Switzerland. I worked at the factory this winter, I worked in several departments, I assembled parts on the car, helped the team in all sorts of things, it allowed me to discover things.

You still have to do two free practice sessions for Alfa Romeo. Do you already have an idea of when they will take place?

I have no idea at the moment. I think it will happen after Monza, that’s the most likely. It will be discussed this weekend, I think we will also have a discussion with Alfa Romeo regarding my future, we are currently discussing it. But for me, the most important thing is to focus on F2, it’s my job to do the best possible work here, with as few troubles as possible, unlike last year where I had a lot of mechanical issues.

Regarding these discussions, do you see any opportunities for me to move up to F1 in the short term?

For the moment, it’s still preliminary discussions. They currently have two drivers. I am a reserve driver, and I know they are keeping an eye on me because they have been helping me a lot for a few years now, especially this year in F2. Being the official reserve driver of the team makes me feel closer to F1, I am part of the team. So no, it’s definitely not far. But I need to focus on F1, and I know that nothing is certain yet.

Motor Sport Magazine proposes to involve reserve drivers for sprint races in F1. What do you think about it?

I saw it too, yes, it’s quite funny. As for me, I would be up for it, for sure, I wouldn’t say no if I were called to drive in an F1 car, whatever happens. I think it’s still a good format for F1 drivers, it adds a little excitement to the races. It’s true that it’s long, three free practice sessions per weekend in F1. To see a free practice session, a qualifying session, and a sprint race that won’t change the starting grid for the long race, I think it’s positive, it just adds to the spectacle. We like to see the drivers fighting on track, and on a circuit like the Red Bull Ring, I think the sprint race will be even more interesting.