Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire will compete in Super Formula next year after admitting he was “disappointed” to miss out on a 2024 Formula 1 seat.
Pourchaire drove in the official post-season test in the Japanese series earlier this month and it has been announced he will drive for the Toyota-powered Team Inpul side.
The Frenchman will become the second driver to make the switch from F2, with Red Bull academy prospect Ayumu Iwasa confirmed on the 2024 Super Formula grid.
Ex-McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne previously embarked upon a season in Super Formula in 2016 ahead of making his F1 bow the following year, ending fourth overall.
Red Bull have often utilised the series, with Pierre Gasly, now at Alpine in F1, ending up only half a point adrift of taking the 2017 title after winning GP2 the previous year.
Meanwhile, Liam Lawson, who was handed his F1 debut with AlphaTauri amid Daniel Ricciardo’s injury this year, also ended up runner-up in Japan in the past campaign.
Pourchaire’s move to Japan’s premier single-seater category comes amid his desire to conduct a full-time racing schedule in 2024 after being overlooked for an F1 seat.
Despite clinching the F2 title at the third attempt in Abu Dhabi, the 20-year-old became the third consecutive second-tier champion to not earn a promotion to the top flight.
Pourchaire has been associated with the Sauber development programme since 2019, but the Hinwil-based outfit opted to retain both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou.
Speaking at the FIA Prize Giving Gala in Baku last week, Pourchaire voiced his disappointment at missing out after achieving the objective Sauber had set out for him.
“I think I’m the third F2 champion in a row to not be promoted to F1,” he said. “Which, it can happen. It’s not because you are an F2 champion that you will have a place in F1.
“But I’m disappointed, to be honest. Because I’m an F2 champion, I did some good results in the past. I did my best.
“The goal that the Sauber Academy told me was to win the championship – and I did it. So it’s like this.”
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