Theo Pourchaire says his transfer to the World Endurance Championship marks the second part of his motorsport profession, however believes he “deserved higher” following his 2023 System 2 title.
Pourchaire will be part of Peugeot’s manufacturing facility Hypercar group within the WEC subsequent 12 months, racing the 9X8 LMH for the complete 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 troublesome occasions after profitable the F2 title in his third season with ART.
Pourchaire had damaged his contract with Staff Impul in Tremendous System after McLaren provided him an opportunity to finish the 2024 IndyCar season with the group, based mostly on his spectacular early showings as an alternative choice 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 and not using a drive for the rest of the 12 months.
Pourchaire needed to step by step rebuild his profession in sportscar racing this 12 months, racing for Algarve Professional within the European Le Mans Collection 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 facility drive wasn’t misplaced on Pourchaire, who mirrored on the struggles he confronted within the final two years whereas attempting to develop into knowledgeable driver.
“It is like the primary huge alternative of my profession,” he mentioned about his Peugeot drive. “Since my System 2 title, I used to be very unfortunate, and I deserved at the very least a bit higher probability and a bit higher alternatives.
“Nevertheless it’s a part of life. It may be in sports activities or in life normally. There are ups and downs.
“Proper now, I begin, as an instance, the second a part of my profession. I am knowledgeable, I characterize a automobile model and I am driving in a world championship. I am actually blissful, and I can not wait to be on monitor.”
#94 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Loic Duval, Malthe Jakobsen, Theo Pourchaire
Photograph by: Shameem Fahath / Motorsport Community
Exterior of his ELMS marketing campaign, Pourchaire additionally drove Maserati MSG’s System E automobile on two events this 12 months, becoming a member of the Monaco-based group for the Jeddah rookie apply earlier than returning on the Berlin check.
The Frenchman is just not 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 System E testing as nicely, which continues to be single-seater,” he mentioned. “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 previous, which continues 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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