Théo Pourchaire  “We’re here to help Peugeot TotalEnergies win”

When you’re born in Grasse, you’re supposed to do rallying, right? So why racing on circuit? 

Ah, I’ve heard that a lot! My passion for motorsports comes from my father, who, as it happens, was a rally enthusiast. He was the one who introduced me to karting when I was three years old, and I’m grateful to him for that. He was also my mechanic when I first started competing. But honestly, I never thought I’d make a career in motorsports.

Things moved very quickly for you. At age 10, you joined the FFSA Academy. Before you were even 15, you’d already built up an impressive record in karting.

I worked my way up the ranks. I was French karting champion and then went on to compete in the European and World Championships. Karting is where I learned the most. The level is very high, we’re very young, there are maybe 100 drivers per category, and it all comes down to thousandths of a second on the track… Karting taught me how to battle in a pack, how to manage a race, how to handle pressure, and how to work with mechanics and engineers—we already had them in karting—; it’s the school of the Circuit.

You then naturally moved on to single-seaters, starting with French Formula 4 and then moving to Germany, where you won the title after a highly competitive season.

Single-seaters teach you more about driving, working on car setups, and so on… I was the Junior F4 champion in France, then the champion in Germany the following season. There, it was better organized and more professional; it already felt a lot like F3.

In 2020, you joined the Formula 3 series with ART GP and became the youngest winner in F3 at age 16! You finished the season as runner-up.

F3 is a step up. We race during F1 weekends, on the same tracks, against very fast opponents, so the pressure goes up a notch. I actually won in my second race at 16 years and 10 months old, and Lewis Hamilton came to congratulate me—what a proud moment!

The following year, you stayed with ART GP but moved up to Formula 2, the stepping stone to F1… In Monaco, you became the youngest pole sitter and race winner in F2.

Formula 2 is normally the final step before F1, or at least the final step before becoming a professional driver. The number of competitors shrinks as you move up, and by the end, there are only a few left. There are plenty of reasons for this, such as budget constraints. Some drivers didn’t necessarily have big sponsors and had to quit early or take other paths. And then there’s the level of competition, of course, because the higher you go, the harder it gets…

You continued to improve in 2022 before winning the F2 championship in 2023, which usually paves the way for a successful career in motorsports, including F1…

That F2 title allowed me to become a professional driver and open up other opportunities, but not in F1. I raced once in Super Formula in Japan and six times in IndyCar in the U.S.—two great experiences. But over the course of a season, that’s not much… My last race in 2024 was in July… It feels strange because I had just won F2, and up until then, I’d always had full-season programs. Overnight, I found myself with nothing—it’s really not easy to deal with…

And then you were invited to the Bahrain Rookie Test in the Peugeot 9X8. How did the partnership with Peugeot TotalEnergies come about?

It’s true that my manager—who’s also a friend—and I had been trying to find opportunities. We’d reached out to quite a few people, quite a few teams in different championships, without getting much of a response… Often, teams prefer to go with experienced drivers in a particular championship who can perform right away… For me, it was complicated even though I’ve performed well throughout my career… Deep down, I knew things would work out… We contacted Peugeot, and the first meeting went really well. I then took part in the Rookie Test in Bahrain, and there, too, everything went smoothly.

Peugeot TotalEnergies named you a development driver, and you made your racing debut at the end of 2025, again in Bahrain.

There were no opportunities for a full-time seat in the WEC for the 2025 season, but I had the chance to drive in LMP2 to learn the ropes of endurance racing. It was a very enriching experience and allowed me to learn the specifics of the discipline, such as driver changes, traffic management, tire management, fuel consumption… All the parameters unique to endurance racing. And even driving in a closed-top car, which I’d never done before! I went into my first Hypercar race feeling much more confident, and I think it showed. It was really cool. I was happy to be in the car with Loïc and Malthe; they welcomed me warmly and really helped me build my confidence.

How do you view endurance racing and the FIA WEC now?

The mindset is completely different, because we’re representing a manufacturer and a racing team. So, our primary goal is to help the Peugeot brand win. On the track, it’s fun to compete against a Ferrari, an Aston Martin… You also have the experience of sharing the wheel with two teammates. In single-seaters, you have your car, your setups, your team, your engineers, your mechanics, and your teammate is your main rival because he’s the only one you can directly compare yourself to. You always want to be ahead of him. In endurance racing, we’re part of a crew; we have to trust each other, help each other out… Without them, we can’t win. I hadn’t learned any of that in karting or single-seaters. Oh, except once—I raced in the 24 Hours of Karting, and that was cool! The FIA WEC is a really, really great championship. The level of competition is exceptional, so you really have to maximize every detail. There’s a lot of work with the engineers, on the simulator. It’s very professional.

How do you see this FIA WEC season and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Hypercar class? It’s going to be a big moment! What are your goals for 2026? 

It’s going to be a big moment, that’s for sure! As a Frenchman, driving for Peugeot at the 24 Hours of Le Mans! And with the brand’s centenary at Le Mans, it’s going to be something special! I can’t wait, that’s for sure. In terms of performance, we’ll have to do our very best. You never know what might happen. Le Mans can be such a chaotic race at times, especially if the weather gets involved. As for the FIA WEC season, the team secured a few podium finishes last year and came very close to claiming its first victory. There are teams that have had a bit more luck than us at times. It’s a shame, but that’s just how it is. In endurance racing, there are so many uncontrollable factors—competitors on the track, different categories. A lot goes on. So, you just have to maximize your own potential. I’m happy to continue with Loïc and Malthe in the #94 car, and I hope to stay with the Peugeot TotalEnergies team for a long time.

 

A few words about TotalEnergies’ involvement in motorsports, as a partner of Team Peugeot. 

I grew up immersed in the world of motorsports, watching all kinds of different series, so the TotalEnergies and ELF brands obviously mean a lot to me—I used to see them all the time on the cars, around the tracks, and in the paddocks… I even raced for ELF in F2 with ART GP.

TotalEnergies supplies Excellium Racing Evo fuel for the FIA WEC. At 23, are you concerned about the environment and the environmental impact of motorsports?

I’m very conscious of it. I know that in Formula 2, we were already starting to use some sustainable fuel. It was just the beginning, so we were at less than 50%—I’d say 20 or 25% sustainable materials—but we were heading in the right direction. In IndyCar, the Firestone tires used on street circuits were “green.” In the FIA WEC, the new Michelin tires are made with 50% sustainable materials. The Hypercars are hybrid prototypes… In endurance racing, everyone is working together to make the sport more sustainable while preserving its essence—with cars that are fun to drive, exciting battles on the track, and a great show for the fans. We need to keep moving in that direction.