Committed to the World Endurance Championship with Peugeot for 2026, Théo Pourchaire becomes a development driver for Mercedes-AMG in Formula 1. The 2023 Formula 2 champion is expanding his field of action and will participate in development work on the German single-seater in the context of new technical regulations.
The trajectory is taking a new direction. Committed to Peugeot for the 2026 WEC season, in the Hypercar category, Théo Pourchaire will now serve as a development driver for Mercedes-AMG in parallel. The announcement was officially made Monday evening by the German team.
The driver from Grasse thus joins Mercedes’ Formula 1 program for the 2026 season. The team states that the 2023 FIA Formula 2 champion is entering a collaboration that is part of a pivotal phase for the discipline, marked by the beginning of new technical regulations.
The French driver competed in three complete F2 seasons starting in 2021, before winning the title with one victory and ten podiums in 2023. Théo Pourchaire thus joins current F2 driver Joshua Duerksen as a development driver for Mercedes, an opportunity welcomed by the Frenchman: “the news has finally come out, I am incredibly proud and grateful to join the Mercedes F1 team as a development driver. I grew up watching this team win in F1 and now I have the honor to work with them and represent them. A big thank you to everyone involved for giving me this opportunity, I will make the most of it. Let’s get to work at Brackley,” he said following the announcement.
Long integrated into the Sauber fold, the Frenchman participated in several Free Practice 1 sessions in Formula 1 and private tests with the Swiss team. His single-seater experience has also been enriched by stints in IndyCar with the McLaren team in the United States and in Super Formula in Japan, although these programs remained brief.
A strategic role in a period of transition
The collaboration with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team takes place in a particular technical context. The 2026 season will mark a significant evolution of single-seaters. Development work therefore takes on a central role. Data analysis, simulator work and correlation between track and factory will form the heart of the mission.
Théo Pourchaire will actively participate in the development of the single-seater alongside the team drivers, including George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Frenchwoman Doriane Pin also holds a similar role within the team following an F1 Academy title.
“I grew up watching this team win in F1 and now I have the honor to work with them and represent them” comments the interested party with pride.
This new chapter comes as the 22-year-old driver is about to discover a different discipline. In a few weeks, Théo Pourchaire will take part in his first full season in the World Endurance Championship. The program includes a drive in the Peugeot 9X8 #94, entered in the Hypercar category.
The crew will consist of Loïc Duval and Malthe Jakobsen. The first race in Qatar, scheduled for March 26-28, will open the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season. This race will mark the beginning of his Endurance journey under Peugeot colors.
With greater perspective and expanded experience, the French driver now tackles a demanding dual program, having found himself without a drive a year ago. Work in Endurance will require adaptation and consistency over long formats. The Formula 1 mission will demand precision and analytical ability in a demanding technological environment. The year 2026 promises to be formative and busy between the simulator at Brackley and Hypercar racing events.
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