The Sauber Formula 1 team is looking for a new IndyCar seat for its reserve driver Theo Pourchaireafter he has been separated from Arrow McLaren.
Last week it was announced that Arrow McLaren had signed a multi-year deal with Nolan Siegel to pilot its #6 Chevrolet starting at Laguna Seca. The news came just a few weeks after McLaren confirmed that Pourchaire, 20 years old and Formula 2 champion, would continue to get into his car for the rest of 2024, having reached an agreement with Sauber for the Frenchman to be a replacement for the injured David Malukas.
Pourchaire left his Super Formula seat to race in IndyCar and immediately impressed in his first outings, so the news of his “dismissal” came as a shock..
Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, the Sauber team representative, Alessandro Alunni Bravisaid the team “cannot be happy” about the fact that Pourchaire’s contract had been broken, but that he understood McLaren’s position and would look for another driver instead.
“McLaren needed to change their driver strategy and we understand their position. Of course, we cannot be happy, mainly because Theo has lost the opportunity to have such a promising racing programme.”
Theo Pourchaire, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Photo by: Art Fleischmann
“This is something that can happen in motorsport, we cannot blame McLaren. But now we have to look to the future and find another good opportunity for Theo. “We are already working with him to get him another seat in IndyCar, hopefully he can run some races this year.”
“We wanted him to have a strong racing program because we want to have him ready to get in the car if necessary. And there he immediately showed that he can compete in the top 10,” he said.
For the nine races remaining in the 2024 IndyCar season, Dale Coyne Racing appears to be the most logical choice for Sauber to field Pourchaire, as the team has yet to announce who will take charge of its new Honda-powered car, the # 51, when the class arrives in Mid-Ohio in two weeks.
Despite missing three races, including the Indianapolis 500, Pourchaire could compete for the rookie of the year award.as he got his first top 10 in Detroit.
Alunni Bravi said the team’s priority is for Pourchaire to have a seat in IndyCar for the 2025 season, as the Swiss team is looking for more experienced options, such as former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, for its Formula 1 team.
“We are focused on having a strong program in 2025 with one of the best teams in IndyCar. “That is a very demanding championship, it has different layouts, track characteristics, a lot of very experienced and professional drivers with specific knowledge of the category.”
“So it’s a good environment for a driver to grow. Now we can’t miss any other opportunity for him to race, because for any driver being a reserve is not enough.”
While Sainz is also considering a move to Williams and a last-minute offer from Alpine., Alunni Bravi reiterated that Sauber – which will become Audi’s works team in 2026 – is talking to “four Formula 1 race winners” for next year; Sainz, his current driver Valtteri Bottas and the Alpine duo, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
“There are four Formula 1 race winners in the Formula 1 market and we are talking to all of them. One of the main characteristics we want is a long-term commitment to the Audi project,” he concluded.
