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F1 team 'ready' to make deal with junior SENSATION as title beckons

Joe Ellis Monday 18 September 2023 12:57

Theo Pourchaire is close to agreeing a deal with Sauber for the 2024 F1 season to be the team's reserve driver.

According to team principal Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the 20-year-old is still very much on the team's plans despite Zhou Guanyu signing a contract extension alongside Valtteri Bottas.

Pourchaire currently leads the Formula 2 championship ahead of Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti and if he wins the title, he won't be allowed to return to the series next year.

He could race away from the F1 ladder while maintaining his reserve duties at Sauber but he is likely to have no racing planned for 2024 if he signs this deal.

Bravi: No doors are closed

Theo Pourchaire is favourite to win the 2023 F2 title at the season finale in Abu Dhabi

"We are ready to make a deal,” Bravi said, as quoted by Motorsport.com.

"We are discussing together which will be the best racing programme for him to be ready to jump into the F1 car. No doors are closed for him in the future.

"We have seen with Felipe Drugovich… Piastri as well that, after one year in Formula 2, if there is no actual chance to be a race driver, this doesn't exclude the possibility for the team to appoint in the future."

This will be the third year in a row that the reigning F2 champion failed to earn an F1 race seat after Felipe Drugovich and Oscar Piastri were confined to reserve roles.

Mick Schumacher was the most recent F2 champion to get promoted to F1 straight away but he only lasted two seasons at Haas before dropping to a reserve for Mercedes this season.