Theo Pourchaire: I'm starting second chapter in WEC but I deserved better after F2 title

Theo Pourchaire says his move to the World Endurance Championship marks the second phase of his motorsport career, but believes he “deserved better” following his 2023 Formula 2 title.

Pourchaire will join Peugeot’s factory Hypercar team in the WEC next year, racing the 9X8 LMH for the full season after making an early debut in Bahrain last month.

The WEC seat ends a long period of uncertainty for the Frenchman, who faced some difficult times after winning the F2 title in his third season with ART.

Pourchaire had broken his contract with Team Impul in Super Formula after McLaren offered him a chance to complete the 2024 IndyCar season with the team, based on his impressive early showings as a substitute for the injured David Malukas.

But just eight rounds into the season, the British squad dropped him abruptly in favour of Nolan Siegel, leaving him without a drive for the remainder of the year.

Pourchaire had to gradually rebuild his career in sportscar racing this year, racing for Algarve Pro in the European Le Mans Series while fulfilling reserve driver duties for Peugeot in WEC.

His efforts were finally rewarded in September when he secured a full-time seat in the 9X8 for 2026, as Peugeot reshuffled its driver line-up.

The significance of a factory drive wasn’t lost on Pourchaire, who reflected on the struggles he faced in the last two years while trying to become a professional driver.

“It's like the first big opportunity of my career,” he said about his Peugeot drive. “Since my Formula 2 title, I was very unlucky, and I deserved at least a bit better chance and a bit better opportunities.

“But it's part of life. It can be in sports or in life in general. There are ups and downs. 

“Right now, I start, let's say, the second part of my career. I'm a professional, I represent a car brand and I'm driving in a world championship. I'm really happy, and I can't wait to be on track.”

#94 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Loic Duval, Malthe Jakobsen, Theo Pourchaire

Outside of his ELMS campaign, Pourchaire also drove Maserati MSG’s Formula E car on two occasions this year, joining the Monaco-based team for the Jeddah rookie practice before returning at the Berlin test.

The Frenchman is not ruling out a return to single-seaters in the future, but insisted the WEC is “the place to be right now” amid the current manufacturer boom.

“We never know what can happen. I did some Formula E testing as well, which is still single-seater,” he said. “It's different, it's electric racing. But we never know what can happen. 

“The thing is that I'm only 22 years old, which is still young for motorsport. I can have many years of great career. Endurance is the place to be right now with all the manufacturers, as it's a world championship.

“My dream is to win Le Mans. As a French driver with Peugeot, that would be the dream.”

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