Théo Pourchaire will be at the Rookie Free Practice in Jeddah with Maserati

The FP0 grid, held before the Jeddah E-Prix, is starting to fill up. This session, reserved for novice drivers, will take place on Thursday 13 February and will last 40 minutes. Each team must announce the name of the driver who will drive before this Thursday 6 January and Maserati has just made its choice official.

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Theo Pourchaire will be behind the wheel of the car of the Monaco-based team during this session. The Frenchman, winner of the F2 in 2023, does not have a seat for the moment this season and is content with a role of test and development driver for Peugeot en WEC. “I am really proud to have this opportunity with Maserati MSG Racing. I also really enjoy working with new people, everyone has been very welcoming so far.” appreciates the young French driver. "This will be the first time I drive a car Formula E during a race weekend and I’m looking forward to getting out there at the Jeddah circuit, being in the car and working with the team on the ground. I’ve been working with the team in the simulator to prepare as best I can, but nothing compares to the real thing. I know the Jeddah circuit from F2, I’ve raced there three times in the past but on a slightly different setup and in a very different car, but I think knowing the circuit a little bit helps, especially when I’m in a new car with a new team. Overall, I’m looking forward to getting out there, showing what I can do, helping the team and hopefully having fun!”

A future in Formula E for Théo Pourchaire? 

Although he has never driven in Formula E during a race weekend, Théo Pourchaire has taken part in numerous tests, notably to develop the Gen3, the single-seater version that raced until last season, before the arrival of its evolution, the aptly named Gen3 Evo. “Theo is an incredibly talented driver, and we have followed his career closely over the past few years.” explains Cyril Blais, director of Maserati MSG Racing. “He has proven his speed and adaptability across a range of racing disciplines and his impressive track record speaks for itself. He is fast and we anticipate his technical feedback will help the team get the race weekend off to a good start. The Jeddah circuit will be new to us all, which adds an extra level of challenge, but we have confidence in Theo’s experience and ability to rise to the occasion. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing what he can do and, as always, we will approach the session with realistic expectations and heads held high.”

After driving for three seasons in Formula 2 (2021 – 2023), Théo Pourchaire had a difficult 2024 season. Initially entered in Super Formula, he joined McLaren en IndyCar after a single round in Japan, but the adventure across the Atlantic turned sour. Zak Brown's team suddenly dismissed him and the Grasse native did not find a full-time seat to finish the year. His successful test in Bahrain in November opened the doors to the WEC with Peugeot, but the idea of ​​seeing him drive in Formula E at the same time does not seem so far-fetched.