Pourchaire proud of own development: 'I worked a lot on myself'

Theo Pourchaire qualified P3 in Baku, qualifying in the top three for the fifth time in a row. A unique achievement, especially considering that the Frenchman still identified qualifying as the biggest area for improvement prior to the season.

The smile on his face is big as Pourchaire walks into the press conference room along with Oliver Bearman and Enzo Fittipaldi. You would almost think he gets to start from pole on Sunday, but that is not the case. Pourchaire will start Sunday's main race from third place, but that should not spoil the fun.

Prior to the F2 season, Pourchaire was clear: his qualifying had to be better. In 2022, he had missed out on the title and he knows that from his inconsistent performances on Friday. In Bahrain, he started 2023 well in that respect with a pole position and since then he has finished in the top three every qualifying session. Counting Abu Dhabi 2022, that's now five in a row and the Sauber junior is proud of that.

Pourchaire visibly making strides

''There is always room to improve, but I am very proud of it. It is not necessary to be on pole everytime with a five-tenths lead. It is better to be in the top three than outside the top ten. I'm happy with that. I worked a lot on myself and the car is also better in qualifying. It helps a lot to start at the front,'' Pourchaire revealed when asked by GPblog.

A sprint race is first scheduled for the F2 driver on Saturday. That will require the Sauber protégé to start from P8 due to the reverse grid. On Sunday, he will then start the main race from P3. Pourchaire saw his biggest rival in the championship, Ayumu Iwasa, qualify outside the top ten. The Frenchman can therefore make a big impact in Baku.