Theo Pourchaire says his transfer to the World Endurance Championship marks the second section of his motorsport profession, however believes he “deserved higher” following his 2023 Method 2 title.
Pourchaire will be part of Peugeot’s manufacturing unit Hypercar crew within the WEC subsequent yr, racing the 9X8 LMH for the total season after making an early debut in Bahrain final month.
The WEC seat ends a protracted interval of uncertainty for the Frenchman, who confronted some tough instances after successful the F2 title in his third season with ART.
Pourchaire had damaged his contract with Crew Impul in Tremendous Method after McLaren provided him an opportunity to finish the 2024 IndyCar season with the crew, primarily based on his spectacular early showings as an alternative to the injured David Malukas.
However simply eight rounds into the season, the British squad dropped him abruptly in favour of Nolan Siegel, leaving him with no drive for the rest of the yr.
Pourchaire needed to regularly rebuild his profession in sportscar racing this yr, racing for Algarve Professional within the European Le Mans Sequence whereas fulfilling reserve driver duties for Peugeot in WEC.
His efforts have been lastly rewarded in September when he secured a full-time seat within the 9X8 for 2026, as Peugeot reshuffled its driver line-up.
The importance of a manufacturing unit drive wasn’t misplaced on Pourchaire, who mirrored on the struggles he confronted within the final two years whereas making an attempt to turn into an expert driver.
“It is like the primary massive alternative of my profession,” he stated about his Peugeot drive. “Since my Method 2 title, I used to be very unfortunate, and I deserved not less than a bit higher probability and a bit higher alternatives.
“But it surely’s a part of life. It may be in sports activities or in life on the whole. There are ups and downs.
“Proper now, I begin, for instance, the second a part of my profession. I am an expert, I signify a automobile model and I am driving in a world championship. I am actually completely satisfied, and I can not wait to be on observe.”
#94 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Loic Duval, Malthe Jakobsen, Theo Pourchaire
Picture by: Shameem Fahath / Motorsport Community
Exterior of his ELMS marketing campaign, Pourchaire additionally drove Maserati MSG’s Method E automobile on two events this yr, becoming a member of the Monaco-based crew for the Jeddah rookie observe earlier than returning on the Berlin take a look at.
The Frenchman just isn’t ruling out a return to single-seaters sooner or later, however insisted the WEC is “the place to be proper now” amid the present producer increase.
“We by no means know what can occur. I did some Method E testing as properly, which remains to be single-seater,” he stated. “It is completely different, it is electrical racing. However we by no means know what can occur.
“The factor is that I am solely 22 years outdated, which remains to be younger for motorsport. I can have a few years of nice profession. Endurance is the place to be proper now with all of the producers, as it is a world championship.
“My dream is to win Le Mans. As a French driver with Peugeot, that might be the dream.”
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