Alfa Romeo Will Replace Valtteri Bottas With This Rookie at the FP1 of the US GP

Alfa Romeo has had a mixed season so far. They had a great start to their season with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu finishing P6 and P10, respectively. Although, that their car technicalities have let them down occasionally. However, Zhou’s form will be a positive introduction for them as the Chinese driver signed a new contract.

Alfa Romeo has announced that they will let Theo Pourchaire race in the FP1 of the US Grand Prix in place of Valtteri Bottas. The French driver is a member of the Sauber academy. He currently competes in F2 with ART Grand Prix and is only 19 years old. Pourchaire is also the youngest driver to win an FP3 and FP2 race in history.

This has earned him the reserve driver for the Alfa Romeo team in 2023. Pourchaire shared a message which said, “I am thrilled to be making my Free Practice debut in Austin; it will be my second time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, but in some ways, it will feel like it’s the first time, as this time it will be during an official Grand Prix session.”

READ MORE: “What the Actual F**k” – F1 Announcement Leak Finally Unites the Fractured Fanbase

“It feels like a dream coming true, and I want to thank Alfa Romeo F1 Team for putting their trust in me and granting me this amazing opportunity: I am looking forward to being on track, and I will make sure to get the most out of it and to do my best to support the team as they prepare for the United States Grand Prix.”

Alfa Romeo “delighted” to give Theo Pourchaire the opportunity to race for the team, claims Vasseur

Alfa Romeo today announced that FP2 driver Theo Pourchaire will drive for the team in FP1 in Austin. Frederic Vasseur was delighted to give Theo the opportunity to drive Bottas’ C-42 car. Theo has delivered some brilliant performances over the course of this season; hence, Alfa Romeo’s decision does not come as a shock.

The Alfa Romeo team principal said, “We have been working closely with him for almost four years now, as a member of our Academy, and we have been impressed by his constant progress and development as a driver first and, equally importantly, as a person.”

He stated that Theo deserved this opportunity. He is confident that he will impress everyone with his performance as he has done all season. Vasseur also claimed that Theo’s drive will help the team gather valuable data.

WATCH THIS STORY: McLaren F1 Boss Uses Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo to Highlight Major Flaws With Red Bull Racing

Theo Pourchaire has had quite a year so far. He’s currently second in the FP2 Driver’s Standings. His season keeps getting better, as he now gets the prestigious opportunity to test an F1 car for the first time. Do you think Theo Pourchaire will replace Bottas in the long run?