17-year-old rising star Theo Pourchaire says Alfa Romeo F1 test debut a ‘dream come true’

Formula 2 racer and 2020 F3 runner-up Theo Pourchaire enjoyed what he called an “unforgettable” day at the hands of the 2019 Alfa Romeo C38, as the exciting teenager completed a private test at the Hungaroring on Wednesday.

As McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari tallied a total of 523 laps in the 2022 Pirelli 18-inch tyre test (the equivalent of more than seven Grands Prix), Alfa used the track time to field the 17-year old Sauber Junior driver, who has taken one race win so far in F2 this season.

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And how much did he enjoy the run in a 2019-spec machine? A lot. “Yesterday a dream came true, I drove for the first time of my life a Formula 1 car," Pourchaire said on Twitter.

“I remember dreaming of that day as a kid. I would like to [thank] the whole [Alfa Romeo] team for this amazing experience and unforgettable day.”

Alfa Romeo seemed pleased with his run-out too, tweeting "The young Frenchman completed a full programme throughout the session: a good job and the perfect send-off before the break!"

Pourchaire became the youngest F2 pole-sitter and winner at Monaco in May and has scored top 10s in all but two F2 races – from which he retired – this season.

Currently sitting sixth in the F2 standings, Pourchaire was also the youngest F3 winner on his way to P2 in the 2020 championship. But his F2 season hasn’t gone so smoothly as he fractured his wrist during the Baku F2 weekend.

Mercedes fielded George Russell for the Pirelli tyre test, while McLaren had both Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris share duties and Ferrari saw Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc take the wheel.