Why hasn't Alfa Romeo run Pourchaire in an F1 test session yet?

In the image of Mercedes this week-end, which will give Nick de Vries the opportunity to board one of his cars, the ten teams in the paddock are obliged to give driving time to rookie drivers this season. Logically, Alfa Romeo should take this opportunity to place Theo Pourchaire, Sauber academy driver, during a free practice session. And if France could be approached to see the French pilot of F1 on the job, it won't be the case.

“We will find the solution” assures Fred Vasseur

While the mid-season milestone has just been reached in Austria, and the twelfth meeting of the year is fast approaching, still no Théo Pourchaire in a free practice session at Alfa Romeo. The Frenchman is quite naturally the Italian-Swiss team's first choice to ride, as the regulations stipulate, and yet the opportunities are rare.

If Frédéric Vasseur, the team director, says that his team is working hard to find a " solution », he admits that the difficulties linked to the calendar made the situation " hard " so far. And there is no question of having the young French driver drive during an F1 weekend and F2 simultaneous, as is again the case this weekend at Castellet.

“We will find a free practice session 1 because the regulations state that you have to give a session to a rookie driver [and even two, one for each starting driver], explained the Frenchman. But when we discuss it, we also have to take into account that you have F2 races, that we have some events with the Sprint races and that we will certainly have some events with testing of new tires. »

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Just out of the first eleven meetings of the season, eight gave rise to F2 races, in parallel with F1, without counting the two Sprint races already organized (changing the classic format of race weekends) or the discovery of new circuits, as was the case in Miami (United States). Suffice to say almost mission impossible for Théo Pourchaire and Alfa Romeo, whose main objective remains the F2 title, for its second season.

By the end of the season, the opportunities will be just as few and far between. Especially in view of certain circuits, most often urban, making the task even more difficult.

“You can't imagine giving a free practice session to rookies in Singapore, explains Frédéric Vasseur. Even Suzuka will be difficult, although I think Max [Verstappen] did it a few years ago. You don't have that many races until the end, but we will find the solution, don't worry – by the rules it is mandatory. »

Last year, Théo Pourchaire already had the opportunity to drive an F1 car under the auspices of Alfa Romeo. The French driver was able to carry out tire tests on the Hungaroring in Budapest (Hungary), aboard the C41.