The most recent FIA F2 champion, Theo Pourchaire, will make his debut in the IndyCar series this weekend at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, according to an announcement from Arrow McLaren. Pourchaire, who currently serves as a reserve driver for the Sauber F1 team, will be behind the wheel of car #6 for Arrow McLaren on the streets of the city outskirts of Los Angeles. This opportunity will allow him to contribute valuable points to the team’s performance in the second race of the 2024 season. Pourchaire, 20, was called up as a substitute for the injured David Malukas, who is still recovering from a broken wrist suffered while mountain biking in February.
In a statement, Pourchaire expressed his excitement about the opportunity to drive for a legendary team in the prestigious NTT IndyCar series. Being a fan of IndyCar since childhood, he is thrilled to have received the invitation from the team. He is grateful to Zak Brown, Gavin Ward, and Tony Kanaan for considering him for this opportunity, as well as to the Sauber team for allowing him to participate in the race at Long Beach. Pourchaire acknowledges the challenge ahead of him but is ready to face it.
For the opening round in St. Petersburg and the showcase event at the Thermal Club, Callum Ilott served as a substitute driver. However, he will not be available for the next race as he has committed to competing in the full 2024 WEC season with the Hertz Team Jota. Ilott will be participating in the 6 Hours of Imola on the same weekend as the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Pourchaire has spent the past few weeks in the United States, where he had the opportunity to test in the Chevrolet simulator alongside Sporting Director Tony Kanaan and Kyle Larson. It is worth noting that he will be sporting the Onsemi brand on his car, marking his debut for the 2024 season.
Gavin Ward、Arrow McLarenを代表して話す形で、デイビッドの回復が予想よりも長引いていることに失望を表明しました。ただし、彼はデイビッドのリハビリをサポートし、彼の負傷以降必要な調整を行うためのチームの努力を称賛しました。ウォード氏は、シーズン中にテオがIndyCarパドックに参加することは予想されていなかったが、彼のロングビーチでの走りを楽しみにしていると強調しました。彼らはこの機会を可能にするためにザウバーに感謝しています。若い年齢にもかかわらず、プシェールは印象的なレースの経歴を持ち、NTT IndyCarシリーズで自分のスキルを試すことを熱望しています。
マルーカスがバーバーモータースポーツパークでのレースに間に合って完全に回復するかどうかはまだ不確かです。Arrow McLarenは来週そのレースのドライバーを発表します。
