Theo Pourchaire wins Formula 2 in the 2023 season, but the Frenchman fails to make the leap to Formula 1: He will now race for Peugeot in the WEC in 2026
His Formula 2 title ultimately proved to be virtually worthless: Theo Pourchaire, who was crowned champion in 2023 in the highest junior series below Formula 1, failed to make the step up to the premier class and will now compete for Peugeot in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026.
The permanent cockpit ends a long period of uncertainty for the Frenchman, who experienced difficult months after winning the title in his third season with ART. Pourchaire terminated his contract in Super Formula after McLaren offered him the chance to finish the 2024 IndyCar season for the team.
But just eight races into the season, the British team abruptly showed him the door. Pourchaire was left without a cockpit for the rest of the year. He had to rebuild his career step by step, driving for Algarve Pro in the European Le Mans Series and acting as a reserve driver for Peugeot in the WEC at the same time.
In September, his efforts were finally rewarded: he secured a full-time cockpit in the Peugeot 9X8 for the 2026 season (see the complete starting list). “It’s like the first big chance of my career,” he says of his Peugeot commitment, albeit not without a touch of melancholy.
“Since my Formula 2 title, I’ve had a lot of bad luck, and I deserved at least a slightly better chance and slightly better opportunities. But that’s part of life,” says the Frenchman. “In sports as well as in life in general. There are ups and downs.”
Why Theo Pourchaire is now “really happy”
“Now I’m starting, let’s say, the second part of my career,” says Pourchaire, seeing a happy turn of events. “I’m a professional, I represent a car brand, and I’m driving in a world championship. I’m really happy and can’t wait to get out on the track.”
In addition to his ELMS program, Pourchaire also sat in Maserati’s Formula E car twice this year. He drove in both the rookie test in Jeddah and in Berlin. He does not rule out a return to formula racing, but emphasizes that, given the current boom in manufacturers, the WEC is “the place to be right now.”
“You never know what might happen. I’ve also done some Formula E testing, which is also a single-seater,” he said. “It’s different, it’s electric racing. But you never know what might happen. The thing is, I’m only 22 years old, which is still young in motorsport.”
“I can still have a great career for many years to come,” believes Pourchaire. “Endurance racing is the place to be right now, with all the manufacturers, and it’s a world championship. My dream is to win Le Mans. As a French driver with Peugeot, that would be a dream come true.”