Sauber Academy drivers successful at the height of summer

The summer break may well be a memory already, with action resuming in Belgium this weekend: for the Sauber Academy drivers, it is now time to prepare for the end-of-season run-in, hoping to carry results and form over from a busy opening half of the year.

With our inductees adding race laps to their belts before the break, let’s take a look back to their endeavours from the past month.
 

Théo Pourchaire – FIA F2 Championship

Théo Pourchaire impressed in the opening stages of the season but suffered a setback with a broken wrist sustained in an accident at the Baku round in June. Not one to be discouraged, he returned without missing a round at Silverstone last month and was instantly back on the pace, qualifying fifth despite the remaining pain from his injury.

Starting sixth in the first sprint race, the Frenchman made up a spot on the opening lap as drivers went off at the Loop, avoiding the chaos and emerging unscathed before trying to chase down Felipe Drugovich for fourth. Despite not making up the position before the flag, points on his return was a positive result for the ART Grand Prix driver.

A slow getaway off the line would ensure a difficult second sprint race for Théo as he fell into the clutches of the midfield. He made a good recovery the top 10 but was unable to score any points. Théo started the feature race in fifth place, but lost out at the start and fell to eighth. An early pit-stop strategy allowed him to jump back to seventh but fresher tyres in the closing stages for rival Juri Vips proved crucial as the Sauber Academy driver had to settle for P8. The points accrued allowed Pourchaire to remain sixth in the drivers’ standings with four rounds to go.

Despite the mid-season break for F2, there was one more activity in store for the young driver as Théo took part in a test with Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN in F1 machinery, around the Hungaroring.

Following the test, he said: “A dream came true, I drove for the first time of my life a Formula 1 car. I remember dreaming of that day as a kid. I would like to thank the whole Alfa Romeo ORLEN team for this amazing experience and unforgettable day.”

Théo, who has also celebrated his 18th birthday during the break, returns to action in September at the F2 Monza round.

 
Juan Manuel Correa – FIA F3 Championship

Juan Manuel Correa’s incredible comeback journey continued in Budapest as he returned to F3 action with ART Grand Prix. Having scored points in each round of the season, Juan Manuel was optimistic ahead of the Hungarian GP weekend: however, a tough weekend in tricky conditions meant he was unable to reach the points positions in the Budapest heat.

The Ecuadorian-American driver qualified 14th and maintained this position throughout the weekend, although was constantly in touching distance of the car ahead in each race. In race one, Correa spent almost the entire time racing side by side against his rivals in the congested midfield, with his progress only curtailed by the championship leaders fighting back through the field.

Race two was much of the same as the dry weather continued, with a late race charge to close in on Jack Doohan falling just short. In the final race of the weekend, the rain fell resulting in a rolling start. In difficult conditions, the racing remained as close as ever: Juan Manuel stayed out of trouble and made up for lost positions early on in the race to complete a hat-trick of 14th-place finishes.

Correa sits 19th in the overall standings ahead of a return to Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.
 

Emerson Fittipaldi Jr – Danish F4 Championship

Having enjoyed an extended lay-off from the Danish F4 championship since the last round at Padborg Park in June, Emerson Fittipaldi Jr returned to action at FDM Jyllands-Ringen for round three of the season.

Fittipaldi entered the weekend sixth in the standings but enjoyed his best weekend to date in Jutland. A fourth place in race one got the event off to a solid start before the Brazilian claimed his maiden victory in the second race, launching into the lead from fifth on the grid and stretching out an advantage that would never be surrendered.

The weekend was finished off in strong fashion by Emmo, who recovered from a slower start in race three to fight back and clinch third place. There is a 64-point gap at the top of the championship with three rounds and nine races remaining, but with good progression shown with each passing round, confidence is high going into the final run-in of the season.