Where Formula 2 champion Pourchaire will race in 2024

Of the last five F2 champions, only one driver has gone straight on to F1. Theo Pourchaire is the latest on that list and seems to be heading for another racing class in 2024. One that an increasing number of European talents are diverting to.

After Charles Leclerc (2017) and George Russell (2018) were given a seat in F1 immediately after their F2 titles, four of the five drivers who became champions afterwards had to wait at least one year for a place in F1. Nyck de Vries, as the 2019 champion, did not get a chance until 2023, only to be shown the door at AlphaTauri after just under six months. Mick Schumacher was the only one given an immediate opportunity but is also back on the sidelines after two years at Haas.

Of the five, only Oscar Piastri is still active in F1. Alpine initially denied the Australian a seat despite winning back-to-back F3 and F2 as a rookie. McLaren did pick up the junior a year later. Theo Pourchaire, like Felipe Drugovich a year earlier, secured the title in his third F2 season but cannot count on an F1 seat.

Where will Pourchaire drive in 2024?

Pourchaire will be active as Sauber's reserve driver in 2024, but can he really make a difference there? Alpine and McLaren invested a lot in Piastri to get mileage in an F1 car before his debut in the top class of motorsport, but Sauber don't seem to have that money. In Abu Dhabi, Pourchaire says no testing is planned, and the focus is on another racing class.

That racing class is the Super Formula in Japan. A class that has rarely been used as a stepping stone over the years but has become increasingly popular in recent years. Red Bull started it. First, it was the intermediate step for Pierre Gasly, and then they also sent Liam Lawson to Japan in 2023. Both narrowly missed out on the title. In 2024, Red Bull will send Ayumu Iwasa to his homeland to take over Lawson's spot in that class.

The Japanese driver is not the only one, as F2 champion Pourchaire also aims for Super Formula. "Super formula is plan A. The car is close to F1. Faster than a Formula 2 car and closer to an F1 car. Nothing is sure yet. I really hope I can drive there. I can do a lot of laps there in a competitive championship," the Frenchman stated in Abu Dhabi.

When GPblog asked how important racing in 2024 might be, he stated: "It's very important. I want to keep racing for my physical shape and mental shape. To be involved in a championship, being under pressure is really important. If you go to F1 after one year without driving, it's not easy. If I want to go to F1, I think I have to drive next year to show myself again in another competitive series."

Why talents choose Super Formula

Because testing in an F1 car is expensive, Pourchaire is looking for another way to stay fit and sharp. Above all, he has something to prove. As an F2 champion, Sauber don't yet consider him ready to take over Guanyu Zhou's spot, so Pourchaire needs to show more to get an F1 seat in 2025. That won't work with just a role as a reserve driver.

GPblog previously spoke to Liam Lawson about Super Formula in 2023 and what makes that class such an important rung in the motorsport ladder. F1 and F2 have grown further and further apart in recent years, and the lack of testing opportunities means young talents can hardly gain experience in F1. So they need a class closer to F1 than F2. That turns out to be Super Formula.

Although the class is less well known in Europe, it is a class with more experienced drivers. The cars are faster due to much more downforce than F2 cars, and the teams are much larger. It is not at the level of F1, but it is a big step up from F2. It appears to be another step in the learning process of drivers, which can give them that extra bit of experience before a move to F1.

Of the current F2 grid, three of the top four are potentially going to this class in 2024. Pourchaire is keen; Iwasa will travel that way anyway, and GPblog also heard in the paddock that Frederik Vesti and Mercedes are also looking at the possibilities in Japan. However, Mercedes will only let the Dane go to Japan if a top team can strike a deal.