Théo Pourchaire confident after the Prologue: "We need to maximize our package"

Back on track for the Prologue of the World ChampionshipEndurance (WEC) in Imola to launch his season with Peugeot , Theo Pourchaire He's not getting carried away, but he's not hiding his desire to get back to competition either. With a best time of 1:32.106, the crew of the Peugeot #94 was the best-placed of the two brand's Hypercars, finishing seventh in the final session.

"The feeling is good. It's exciting to start the new season, because it's been a while since we last raced," the new brand with the Lion logo specified. We did a test at Portimão, of course, but it's not a race weekend. The atmosphere is different; there's no pressure or specific objective. And now we're back at Imola, one of my favorite circuits, so I'm really looking forward to it. I know it won't be easy because the level is high, and we saw that during the prologue with some teams already very dominant. Classic Ferrari for sale "In particular. But we're in the group and we're looking forward to it."

The change in status also shapes his discourse. Having gone from reserve pilot to full-time driver, the Frenchman fully embraces this new dimension: “The approach is completely different, and much more exciting of course, because being a full-time driver is what I’ve wanted for a long time. It’s great to be here, to be with Peugeot, to represent a French manufacturer as a French driver, and I’m very happy to be with Loïc and Malthe in the car. I raced in Bahrain last year, and it went really well.”

Imola: a circuit he already knows well

Having been a regular on the Italian circuit since his years in junior formulas, Théo Pourchaire fully understands the gap between his past experiences and his current challenge: "The main difference is that in F2 we couldn't use the vibrators at all, because in car "It's too high. The suspension is very stiff, you need to generate maximum downforce, so we avoid the kerbs. In Hypercar, it's the opposite: you have to use the full width of the track, the car is quite flexible here, and you have to go over the kerbs, also to get rotation."

This contrast literally transforms the way the circuit is read: "It's interesting; depending on the vehicle, it's almost like two different tracks. But Imola is one of my favorites; the circuit is very technical. You need a good car over the kerbs, very good traction, especially coming out of the slow corners, which in my opinion is the most difficult thing with our car. We're working on it." An adaptation that is not limited to pure piloting, but which touches on the overall understanding of performance.

Maximizing a still imperfect package at Peugeot

But very quickly, technical analysis takes over again. Pourchaire is not trying to hide the limitations of the current package, but to contribute to its improvement. “I think we need to push with what we currently have. We need to maximize our package, and we saw that last year: at the end of the season, the team was capable of finishing in the top 5, of getting podiums. That will change as the year progresses. There will be races where we struggle, others where we have a good car. The car is better on some circuits than others, that's for sure. For example, at Imola, I think we're struggling a bit on the kerbs, with the suspension, so we're suffering a little. But we'll see, maybe we'll find a good setup and be in contention to score some good points.”

In this context, certain conditions could reshuffle the cards. The Frenchman makes no secret of it: “I think we would be closer to the top of the standings if it rains than if it’s dry. I like both. I love this circuit, so we’ll see. If it rains and we have better race pace in the wet, we’ll have to do the rain dance.” A remark that is both lighthearted and revealing of a still fragile balance.

The equation of tires and adaptation

One of the major challenges at the start of the season also concerns adapting to the new Hypercar tires. Théo Pourchaire details their effects precisely: “I think they’re a bit better for consistency over the course of a race. It changes the balance of the cars a little, so we’ve already had to adjust the car’s balance a bit to adapt. Getting up to temperature is a little easier, although it’s still not simple. Without tire covers, out laps remain crucial and very difficult in Hypercars, but it’s a bit better. So in the first few races, it’s bound to change a bit. Some teams will adapt faster than others; I hope we’ll be in the right window.”

Faced with increased competition, particularly from well-established programs, the French driver remains clear-headed: "I think some people have been able to try many things, such as Aston Martin For example. But we know the field is going to be even tighter this year, in my opinion. Because teams like Aston Martin have had a full year and now know the car very well. They're going to improve compared to last year. Last year, we had quite a good advantage over them. Now, they'll be much closer. So we have a lot of work to do to keep up with the others, but also BMW, Cadillac, and Toyota "With their new aerodynamic package. It's going to be more difficult for us, but we'll push."

Imola, a challenge of real-life proportions

Finally, there remains the dimension specific to endurance racing, which the driver of the Peugeot #94 describes rigorously, particularly on a circuit like Imola: “It’s very narrow, and when we watch it on TV, the circuit looks wider than it actually is. In reality, when we’re driving the car, the main straight is almost constantly twisting, which makes it even more difficult: it’s bumpy and twisty. The GT cars, some of them anyway, especially the pro drivers, are very good and sometimes indicate where they’re going to position the car with their turn signals. So they’ll put on their left turn signal, for example, and we know they’re going to turn left. But with a bronze driver, when we’re hitting over 300 km/h on a straight, it’s a bit more challenging. But that’s part of endurance racing, and you have to adapt very quickly to these kinds of situations.”

Théo Pourchaire and the rest of the Peugeot drivers will now have to wait for the first Free Practice session, which will take place this Friday, April 17th at 10:15 am. The start of the 6 Hours of Imola will be on Sunday, April 19th at 13 pm.

Interview by Valentin Glo, in Imola.

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