Pourchaire joins Peugeot
Team Peugeot TotalEnergies has confirmed that 21 year old French racer Théo Pourchaire, the 2023 FIA F2 Champion, has been engaged as a test and development driver for its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) programme.
Pourchaire drove the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar at the 2024 Bahrain Rookie Test where the team say he displayed “exceptional driving skills, analytical capabilities, and professionalism.”
Théo’s role will involve participating in private testing sessions and contributing to the technical development of the 9X8. He will also be ready to step in as a driver in WEC should a regular team driver be unavailable.
“We are delighted to welcome Théo Pourchaire to Team Peugeot TotalEnergies as a development driver. During the Rookie Test in Bahrain, he demonstrated great potential and an in-depth understanding of our car’s unique features,” said Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport’s technical director.
“Théo brings a fresh perspective thanks to his single-seater experience, which is a valuable asset for the development of our endurance programme. We are eager to work with him and fully integrate him into our team.”
Théo Pourchaire added: “I am very excited to join Peugeot Sport as a development driver for the upcoming season; this is an incredible opportunity. I see it as a fresh start, as endurance racing is a new challenge for me. I really enjoyed the Rookie Test in Bahrain, which went very well. The PEUGEOT 9X8 is a very powerful car, unlike anything I’ve driven before.
“Endurance cars are highly advanced and cutting-edge in terms of technology, making them similar to Formula 1 cars. Being a test driver is a fantastic opportunity, and I’m grateful to Team Peugeot TotalEnergies for offering me this chance. I can’t wait to begin this new role.”
Genesis teases LMDh profile
Social media posts from Genesis appear to tease the shape of the Hyundai halo brand’s forthcoming LMDh car.
The car is to see design input from Genesis lead designer Samir Sadikhov.
The programme is set to get underway during 2025 with factory team personnel joining an IDEC sport-entered ELMS LMP2 effort as part of a ramping up of capabilities.
A recent LMP2 test with IDEC saw Logan Sergeant, Jamie Chadwick and Job van Uitert amongst the drivers tested as part of the programme.
DSC expects the Genesis LMDh car to be based on the Oreca chassis and to debut in the FIA WEC in 2026 with an IMSA programme to follow on either later in 2026 or in 2027.
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA begins test programme
Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA shook down its first Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar at a rainy Anneau du Rhin circuit in France last month.
The team’s first full-scale on-track test is scheduled for Dec.10-12 at Paul Ricard.
Testing out our new wheels #HertzTeamJOTA #JOTASport #WEC #BeIconic #VSeries #CadillacRacing pic.twitter.com/aW03AzP3Q5
— Jota Sport (@JotaSport) November 19, 2024
