ART Formula 2 driver Theo Pourchaire has conceded that he does not have the funding to contest another campaign in the feeder series beyond the end of this season.
Pourchaire is currently contesting his second full season, and his third overall, in F2 having raced four times with HWA towards the end of 2020.
The Frenchman has won five races in the final rung on the ladder before F1, and has perennially shown plenty of promise since his arrival.
Brazilian driver Felipe Drugovich is currently out in the lead of the standings following his lightning start to 2022, but Pourchaire has been reeling him back in since then, and is 21 points behind.
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Four rounds remain of the season in F2 this year, so there are plenty of points still to fight for, and Pourchaire is very much a title contender.
A driver cannot compete in F2 after they have won it, so if Pourchaire wins it, he will likely find himself in a similar position Piastri is in now unless he can find a seat with his affiliated team for next year – Alfa Romeo.
Having been in F2 since 2020 though, the promising 18-year-old does not appear to have the means to compete in the series any more after this season.
“This is my last season in FIA F2 for sure, I won’t do another season,” he told France Racing.
“Financially, it won’t be possible. It’s not a good solution, two seasons in a championship is enough for a driver.
“If I don’t go to F1, I don’t know what I will do, we haven’t thought about that with my entourage.
“We will see, there may be several opportunities, I have four races left in FIA F2, that’s all I know. The rest, we’ll see.”
Pourchaire does not specifically focus on the pinnacle of motorsport; instead, he chooses to appreciate how far he has already come at such a young age.
“I don’t think about F1 at all! It remains a dream for me,” he added.
“I’m happy to be driving in FIA F2 already, when I look back at my career and where I come from, I think that driving in FIA F2 is already great.
“I will see, maybe one day I’ll get the opportunity, maybe I won’t.
“I don’t know if I’ll be driving in FIA F2, I don’t know if I’m going to drive in free practice, but it’s better this way, I’ll stay focused on my FIA F2 season. If there is an opportunity, I will take it.”
Zhou Guanyu is out of contract at Alfa Romeo at the end of this season, and the rookie is keen to extend his stay having cut his ties with Alpine at the start of the year.
“I haven’t talked to any teams yet,” he told Autosport.
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“I’m quite happy and settled down in Alfa Romeo.
“At the minute, at the beginning of the season, maybe I was worried about my future, but right now, I’m not too worried about the future.
“I feel that I’ve been through the point to prove myself and to be up to speed, and now it’s about to keep it there with better consistency.
“And then yeah, trying to improve a little bit step by step even more towards the end of the year.
“So far, I’m quite happy working together with this team.”
Pourchaire is not thought to be too far away from being given a run out by Alfa Romeo during one or two practice sessions in the final part of the season.
Drugovich, meanwhile, is not affiliated with any team at present, so his future after F2 if he wins the title this season is also a mystery.