After a rollercoaster final weekend, Théo Pourchaire managed to clinch the Formula 2 championship title. Despite qualifying only 14th, the driver from the Maralpin region delivered very strong performances to achieve his goal.
The wait was indeed long. Two and a half months since the Monza GP to be precise. In Abu Dhabi, the Grassois had to juggle a double schedule of F1 and F2. Jumping from one car to another, it was not easy to perform perfectly. Like his championship rival Frederik Vesti, also switching between F1 and F2, qualifying was tough. Hampered during his fast lap, Théo Pourchaire only qualified 14th compared to Vesti’s 9th place.
This gave the Dane an advantage, especially at the start of the sprint race with the benefit of the reversed grid. At the start, Théo Pourchaire managed to avoid trouble just ahead of him at turn 3. The Azuréen found himself on the brink of the points, while Frederik Vesti was in the thick of the battle, losing positions. After a few laps under the Safety Car, Théo Pourchaire got back on track to enter the points. The Frenchman managed to catch up with and overtake Ayumu Iwasa, applying significant pressure. Maintaining the same pace as the leaders, the Grassois climbed up the ranks (7th) and scored two crucial points as Frederik Vesti won the race. The two were now only 16 points apart.
A Strategic Pourchaire
This Sunday, the duel was closer than ever. To add even more suspense to an already thrilling scenario, both protagonists started the long race with different tire strategies. Aggressive at the start, both men managed to gain several positions. Théo Pourchaire found himself stuck behind Oliver Bearman. Playing his part, Frederik Vesti’s teammate held up the Frenchman with his soft tires. To avoid losing too much time, the driver from Maralpin decided to pit early. He thus found himself far back but with a clear track ahead. An opportunity to manage his medium tires wear optimally.
Meanwhile, Frederik Vesti found himself in second place and virtually champion. But with a pit stop still to make, the French side did not panic. Eventually, the Dane decided to pit on lap 23. He came out of the pits on new soft tires but behind Théo Pourchaire. The Grassois fought hard and managed to keep his season rival at bay. After two intense laps, Vesti logically took the advantage. However, the time spent battling for the 6th position prevented him from climbing higher (3rd). Théo Pourchaire secured 5th place, thereby achieving the ultimate goal.
A crowning moment for the Azuréen who had a full season with one win and 10 podiums. At 20 years old, after three seasons in the feeder series to Formula 1, the Maralpin was overjoyed at the race’s end: “I am really very happy and tired. It was a complicated weekend. I never gave up. I did it, it’s just fantastic. Last year I was heartbroken finishing second in the championship. Now I will prepare for next year to make it to F1.”
His future looks set between Japan in Super Formula and a role as a third driver in Formula 1 with Sauber Alfa Romeo.
