Only a few weeks after being let go, Theo Pourchaire returned quickly to IndyCar as a stand-in for Arrow McLaren.
Theo Pourchaire, a potential Formula 1 driver, will rejoin Arrow McLaren as an injured driver for this weekend’s IndyCar Series race in Toronto. Alexander Rossi suffered a broken right thumb after impacting Turn 8 during Friday’s practice session. The return of Pourchaire occurs after the 20-year-old Frenchman said that he was “disgusted” by the way McLaren handled his one-minute phone call dropping him for Nolan Seigel last month.
“Following an on-track incident where Alexander Rossi sustained a broken right thumb, Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team announces Théo Pourchaire to race the No. 7 Ryde Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for the remainder of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto race weekend,” declared Arrow McLaren.
Traveling from Europe to Toronto, Théo will arrive at the track ahead of the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon, skipping Practice 2. Alexander is back in Indianapolis starting his treatment, and the club hopes he heals quickly.
Following Friday’s catastrophe, Pourchaire’s return to McLaren is not surprising, considering the 2023 Formula 2 champion confirmed on X that the separation was amicable. Pourchaire took aim at the French magazine AUTOhebdo after they released an extensive interview with the driver in which he appeared to criticize McLaren’s handling of his retirement.
According to the driver of Sauber Academy, he was misquoted. Pourchaire posted on X, “I’m disappointed in how grossly inaccurate my words and comments portrayed my interview after reading the article published on AUTOhebdo this week.”
“We finished on good terms, even if I was shocked by Arrow McLaren’s decision to remove me from the car before Laguna Seca. Although it’s regrettable that I won’t be racing with the team, Tony Kanaan, Gavin Ward, and Zak Brown, along with the rest of the team, have all stood by and respected every aspect of the contract. They have also shown complete support for me and my desire to return to racing, whether it is INDYCAR or another type of racing.
The security of Arrow McLaren’s funding and collaborations is undeniable, hence it is completely untrue for AUTOhebdo to say as much in my interview. I hope this helps dispel the misconceptions people may have about the team and myself. I’m grateful for the time I spent with them. I have no hard feelings.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the head of Sauber, likewise cleared McLaren of any wrongdoing. Alunni Bravi told Motorsport.com, “McLaren needed to change its strategy on the drivers and we understand their position.”
Naturally, we are not thrilled, primarily since Théo is no longer able to have a robust racing schedule. This is a common occurrence in motorsports; McLaren is not to blame.
“We just need to look to the future and find another good opportunity for Théo,” he said. We’re already collaborating with him to get another IndyCar seat, so maybe we might participate in a few races this year. We wanted him to be part of a significant racing program so that he would always be prepared to get into the car when needed. He quickly demonstrated his ability to contend for a top-10 ranking.