The young French driver is currently 2nd in the Formula 2 championship, the antechamber of F1.
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Théo Pourchaire will have to wait a bit to join Formula 1 full-time, but he will get there for good. The driver of the Art GP team, in Formula 2, will take the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas during the first free practice session of the United States Grand Prix on October 21, the Italian team announced on Thursday 13 october.
He had already taken the wheel of an Alfa Romeo in 2021, the time of private tests and will live there his first official outing in the world championship. For the 19-year-old Frenchman, the good news does not come alone as he will also join Alfa Romeo as a reserve driver for the 2023 season.
Sauber Academy driver, @TPourchairewill make his FP1 debut at the US Grand Prix in Austin.
The young Frenchman will take over Valtteri’s C42 as part of the young driver outings mandated by F1 since the beginning of the season.
Full story: https://t.co/yJh378EOwH pic.twitter.com/R8o1BpPvQE
— Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN (@alfaromeoorlen) October 13, 2022
Pourchaire announced on August 10 that his second year in Formula 2 would be his last. He then hoped to be crowned world champion, but he was dominated by the Brazilian Felipe Drugovich, already crowned before the last meeting of the season in Abu Dhabi at the end of November.
A member of the Sauber Academy, Alfa Romeo’s apprenticeship system, Pourchaire had seen his near future in the elite darken following the extension of the contract of the Chinese Guanyu Zhou for one season. With this announcement, the native of Grasse, vice-world champion of F3 in 2020 and winner of three Grands Prix this season, is positioning himself for a future in F1.