“What’s cool is that I feel like I’m really part of the team”
Theo Pourchaire says his reserve and simulator role with Mercedes is valuable, but he now wants time in a real Formula 1 car.
The 2023 Formula 2 champion was Mercedes’ reserve driver at Sepang this weekend because Frederik Vesti was racing in IMSA.
“It’s great to experience the race weekend with the team,” Pourchaire told L’Equipe.
“I love it.”
Pourchaire said his simulator work can run deep into the night after Friday practice.
“Generally, I arrive before FP2 starts, I watch the practice sessions with the engineers in the simulator, then I listen to the drivers’ debriefing about the track and their day, and then I hit the simulator until 6 am,” he revealed.
“It’s a really interesting job, and what’s cool is that I feel like I’m really part of the team, like I’m contributing something.”
But he believes actual F1 running is now important.
“It would be extremely important for me to get behind the wheel,” said the Frenchman.
“I think the team’s objective is clear, and we discussed it quite a bit this weekend.”
When asked whether that could happen before the end of 2026, Pourchaire replied: “We’ll see.”
“I think there’s a better chance it will happen next year, but it’s still under discussion.”
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