Théo Pourchaire and his teammates thought they had clinched a podium at the 4h of Spa after a turbulent race. A penalty at the end of the event eventually relegated them to 18th place.
Théo Pourchaire’s season in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) continues with his team Algarve Pro Racing. Partnered with German driver Matthias Kaiser and Spaniard Lorenzo Fluxa, the driver from Grasse experienced another important step in his endurance learning journey this weekend. After achieving a first podium last July at Imola, the crew of car No. 25 hoped to confirm their progress in Belgium. But the round held at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit turned out to be full of twists, between great promises and final disappointment.
In the last race on July 6th at Imola, the team secured an encouraging third place. This result marked a symbolic step in the season, proving that car No. 25 had the means to compete with the best teams on the grid. After a month-and-a-half summer break, the goal was clear: capitalize on this momentum and aim for another strong result, this time on the roller coaster of the Ardennes.
An encouraging start to the weekend
From the first free practice sessions, the signs were positive. In Free Practice 2, Théo Pourchaire set the fastest time at 2’01’’369. This performance showed not only the competitiveness of the Portuguese team’s Oreca 07 but also the young French driver’s quick adaptation to this demanding circuit.
However, the qualifying sessions did not confirm these good hopes. The track, rendered tricky by changing weather conditions, forced the teams to make strategic choices regarding tires. Algarve Pro Racing took a gamble that did not pay off. Result: a less advantageous starting position than expected, which already complicated podium ambitions.
The start, given on Sunday, did not allow car No. 25 to shine. At the hands of Matthias Kaiser, the car seemed to lack rhythm compared to direct competitors. After about thirty minutes, the team decided to call the driver in for an early pit stop, taking advantage of a yellow flag caused by car No. 31 going off the track.
Problem: race control deployed a Virtual Safety Car just seconds after this pit stop. This slight mishap deprived Algarve Pro Racing of a strategic advantage and left the car in fourth position. Nonetheless, the team remained in the game and held onto hope.
A fragmented and tense race
As the hours went by, the scenario did not change much. Incidents multiplied on track, neutralizations broke the rhythm, and errors followed one another for many competitors. In this context, car No. 25 maintained its fourth place, without being able to truly approach the leading trio. The car’s overall pace was behind the best, but the team managed to stay strong and limit the damage.
When Théo Pourchaire took the wheel shortly before the final hour, the mission was clear: give it everything to secure a podium. The driver from Grasse executed the task with determination. Taking advantage of several race events, he managed to elevate the car to second place, just behind Charles Milesi. Hope was rekindled, and adrenaline surged in the Algarve Pro Racing camp.
A podium evaporated at the very end of the race
The end of the race promised to be thrilling. After a final pit stop that took longer than expected, Pourchaire rejoined in third position. The podium seemed secured, but fate decided otherwise. Only eight minutes from the checkered flag, race control imposed a penalty on the team. A sanction that relegated the car far down the rankings.
From the joy of a potential podium to the frustration of losing everything in a few moments, the team experienced a brutal emotional rollercoaster. In the end, car No. 25 finished in an anonymous 18th place, far from the displayed ambitions.
While the raw result is disappointing, this Belgian round still provided a wealth of lessons. The team demonstrated its ability to stay consistent in a challenging race, and Pourchaire confirmed once again that he could be one of the fastest drivers on track. The strategic mistakes and the final penalty, however, remind us how endurance racing is a team sport where every detail counts.
For Théo Pourchaire, still a novice in this discipline after several seasons dedicated to single-seaters, the Spa-Francorchamps experience will remain formative. Every stint, every lap provides an opportunity to progress and learn to manage the vagaries unique to endurance racing.
The ELMS season continues, and Algarve Pro Racing will need to quickly regroup. The Imola podium showed the way; the one that slipped away at Spa reminds us that nothing is ever guaranteed. The crew of car No. 25 will need to find the necessary consistency to turn their promises into solid results.
For Théo Pourchaire, this endurance adventure is not just a passing phase. It represents an important step in his career, an opportunity to develop a range of skills different from those required in single-seaters. Traffic management, adaptation to changing conditions, teamwork: all essential elements for his future progression.
At Spa, the disappointment was great, but it already fuels the motivation to come back stronger.
