Theo Pourchaire reflects on his 'crazy' first IndyCar race
The reigning Formula 2 Champion took to the streets of Long Beach this weekend in an IndyCar and produced a solid rookie result.
Young superstar Theo Pourchaire made the switch from the Formula One paddock to the IndyCar paddock for this weekend.
Before the weekend of racing had started Pourchaire had not driven the Long Beach street circuit. However, the French driver left the circuit with his head held high.
The 20-year-old got the opportunity to replace Callum Ilott this weekend in the #6 Arrow McLaren. The reigning Formula Two Champion qualified in 22nd place, but once the lights went out his racing talent showed.
Pourchaire made up 11 places in his first-ever IndyCar race and crossed the finish line in 11th place. Something that many fans and drivers have been impressed by.
After the race, Pourchaire was ecstatic with how his rookie weekend of IndyCar racing went:
"It's an amazing result,” Pourchaire said. “People sometimes forget that I'm only 20 years old. I'm lucky that in the last six months, I was able to drive a Formula 2, a Formula One car, a Super Formula and now an Indy car, the best single-seaters in the world.”
It seems clear that Pourchaire is not only impressed with himself but with IndyCar as a whole, and if the opportunity comes again it looks like he would be keen to return to the American series.
“I can tell you INDYCAR is amazing. I'm so happy. In my first race, it's crazy when I think about it. I'm a competitor in the first place, and we all want to win. But look at the guys in this field, the experience, they're really good. So I'm happy."