YOUNG DRIVER INTERVIEW

with Théo Pourchaire


Théo Pourchaire is a 17-year-old racing driver from Grasse, France. He became the youngest FIA F3 race winner & vice champion last season.

 


youngdriversmonthly:

Hi Théo! How are you doing? Where do you currently spend your days?

 

Théo Pourchaire:

Yes I’m fine. I’m currently in the south of France doing some physical preparation for this season. Also I’m enjoying time with my family be cause it’s the only time in the year where I can see my whole family.

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YDM:

When and where did you make your first steps in a kart?

 

TP:

I did my first steps in karts in the south of France at a go-kart track near to the city of Grasse. The city is famous for their parfum. I started at three years old, or exactly two and a half years old, so I was really young. I was actually sleeping in my go-kart cause I was to tired at one point. But it’s good memories, all the videos and photos with my father. It was a good old time.

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YDM:

What was your favorite karting moment and what do you like more.. racing karts or cars?

 

TP:

My favorite memory in karting is probably the 2016 World Karting Championship in Bahrain, where I finished P3 in OK Junior. But there are a lot of good memories, but I‘m taking this one. The Bahrain International Karting Circuit was just amazing, one of the best racing tracks for karts. It was a good race, a lot of battles and to finish P3 in a world karting championship is just amazing. And I do prefer racing cars, cause it’s faster.

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YDM:

Back in 2018 you became French F4 junior champion in your first season racing cars. What was the most difficult thing for you personally when you switched from karts to single seaters?

 

TP:

My first single seater season was really good. It’s difficult to adapt yourself from go-kart to single seater. It’s difficult to feel the car, to feel the over- and understeer. Also the starts are different compared to OK Junior and OK Senior. Because I was not racing in KZ shifter karts, so the starts where different for me. But I adapt myself quite fast and to finish the season 3rd overall and as junior champion is amazing.

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YDM:

In the next year you’ve won the ADAC F4 Championship after a thrilling battle with Dennis Hauger all season long. How do you get along off track?

 

TP:

Then I won the German F4 which is one of the hardest F4 championships. I‘m quite proud of that. Dennis is a very good driver. We had some amazing race battles and I‘m really proud of that cause it’s always amazing to have someone who pushes you at your best. Also my teammates were really good in that year. Only my second season in single seater and already a champion in F4, that was a really good season.

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YDM:

Last season you became the youngest ever FIA F3 race winner. You even became vice champion in your rookie year. Where you surprised about your strong performances in a highly competitive grid?

 

TP: 

Last year’s 2020 season was amazing to be honest. I’m really proud of my team. I’m calling ART my team because it’s like a family for me. We became vice champion and fighted with Prema for the win. Prema was really strong. We have to be honest, they’re the best team in this series. And yeah, youngest ever race winner and vice champion at only 17. I’m proud of myself and can only thanks the team, Sauber Academy and for sure my family. Without them I couldn’t make this possible.

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YDM:

What are your favorite hobbys aside from racing?

 

TP: 

I’ve quite a lot of hobbies to be honest. I like everything about sport. I like, for sure, football, basketball or tennis, which I watch everytime on the TV. I like also playing video games, like NBA 2K21 or FIFA. Yeah, I really like sports. Then I like also RC-Cars. Maybe you saw it in my story one time. I don’t know how to say in English, but it’s a little car that you drive with a controller. This is cool.

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YDM:

How do you focus and push yourself ahead of a race start?

 

TP: 

I try to focus myself with the warmup. I don’t know how to say. I have the exactly same warmup everytime. I jump in on the right side of the car, I put my right gloves first, you know. Thats some little things who help me to concentrate myself. It’s important as I said those things, but if I don’t do that, I don’t feel good to drive.

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YDM:

If you have to choose. Who is your all time favorite F1 driver and team?

 

TP: 

To be honest it’s impossible to answer that question. You cannot compare the generation’s of driver. My generation for me for sure it’s Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. And I like both of them. For me they’re great drivers and true champions. Lewis Hamilton is an amazing driver. Sebastian Vettel is also an amazing driver, he’s in a difficult period, but what he did with Red Bull was amazing. And for sure there are a lot of good drivers. Ayrton Senna, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher. Ahh, there’s is too much. And as a french driver I also like Alain Prost.

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YDM:

This year you’re going to race in F2. What is the goal for your rookie season?

 

TP: 

This year I’m going to drive in Formula 2. It’s the last category before F1, it’s difficult to realize cause it’s really close to F1, but at the same time it’s very far. There’s a lot of work do. I think I’ll be the youngest ever to participate in the F2 championship. It’ll be really difficult. I know it and I’ll try to give everything like F3. I’ll start from the bottom and will try to progress race after race, to learn a lot of things and to be the best at the end. I’ll try to improve myself everytime on track.

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YDM:

You’re part of the Sauber Academy for two years now. What are the biggest advantages in an academy programme like this? 

 

TP: 

Yes, I’m part of the Sauber Academy programme. I’d like to thanks them first of all. Because they’re giving me the chance to be with them. They’re helping me a lot and I’d like to thanks Beat Zehnder & Frédéric Vasseur for sure. This year was bit complicated with covid. I couldn’t go to the F1 garage from Sauber in Switzerland. But this year will be different, for sure there’s still the pandemic, but it’ll be a bit more open. They’re helping me for sure with the money, my technical progress, simulator.. a lot of things. I can only thanks them for the help they’re giving me.

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YDM:

It’s pretty obvious that you’re aiming to race in F1 one day. If you could choose, in which year would you like to join Formula 1?

 

TP: 

To be honest.. I’ll not choose which year I’ll enter F1. If we’re realistic I could enter F1 in 2022. But I need to work really hard and need to win F2 for that. Everything is possible for me in 2022. But as I said, I’ll be the youngest. I’ll be only 17 years old at the beginning of the season. So I have much more time then others. I’m ready to enter F1 when it’ll be my time. We’ll see.

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YDM:

Where can fans follow your journey on the Road To F1? 

 

TP:

The fans can follow me on Instagram, @theopourchaire21, on Facebook as well and on Twitter. I’d like to thanks all the people who are following me since last season. I started the year with 2K or 3K followers and now I’m at more than 24K I think.. 24.5K something like that. I’d like to thanks every people who are supporting me. It feels amazing, when I look at all the supporting messages before every race.