Théo Pourchaire will join the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 team as a Development Driver in 2026.
The Frenchman will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year in his rookie season, but won the FIA Formula 2 Championship back in 2023 with ART Grand Prix and has continued to pursue some involvement in single-seater racing in this series and through IndyCar.
After his championship win, he remained a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo in 2024, however did not partake in any practice sessions across the year and subsequently left the role at the end of the season as the team changed to Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber.
It was here that he broke away into endurance racing through the European Le Man Series and also featured in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2025.
Pourchaire also steps into this new role with another newly appointed Development Driver, Doriane Pin who won the F1 Academy Championship last season.
Her seven wins and nine podiums across the last two years, with his success across multiple campaigns should allow both drivers to learn from each other throughout their time together.
As the 2026 season brings new technical regulations for Formula One, it is imperative that the Mercedes team have a strong set of drivers behind the scenes to reach a new kind of dominance that the team has lacked ever since the last regulation changes in 2022.
As they launch their new Development Driver line-up, the team can hope positive improvements can be made to the squad.
Pourchaire certainly hopes he can deliver from a statement he shared on Instagram:
“I grew up watching this team winning in F1 and now I have the honour to work with them and represent them.
“A big thank you to everyone involved in giving me this opportunity, I’m going to make the most of it. Let’s start the work in Brackley.”
Image: Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
