P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The Frenchman missed out on a Sauber seat for 2024, and was forced to look to Japan to land a full-time seat.
Theo Pourchaire, the newly crowned FIA Formula 2 champion, has joined Team Impul for the 2024 Japanese Super Formula season. Pourchaire recently tested for the Impul team at Suzuka in their Toyota-powered car and is currently the only foreign driver signed for next season. He will compete at circuits such as Suzuka, Autopolis, and Fuji. Despite winning the F2 title, Pourchaire was unable to secure a promotion to Formula 1 as Sauber decided to retain Zhou Guanyu for another year, delaying Pourchaire’s potential move until 2025. Pourchaire joined the Sauber academy in 2019, won the ADAC championship, finished as the FIA F3 runner-up, and then progressed to F2 in 2021. After two unsuccessful attempts, he finally clinched the F2 title this year, having previously been defeated by Oscar Piastri and Felipe Drugovich.
