Formula 2 front-runner, Théo Pourchaire, and Brazilian driver, Roberto Faria, who is competing in the GB3 Championship (British F3), will be the class of 2022 of Sauber Academy, Sauber Motorsport’s programme aimed at developing the racing stars of tomorrow.
Pourchaire, who has been an inductee of Sauber Academy since 2019, is one of the most promising drivers climbing the rungs of the motorsport ladder. After winning the ADAC F4 championship in 2019, he made the step up to Formula 3, challenging for the title up until the final race of his debut season. A step up to Formula 2 in 2021 saw him become the series’ youngest ever winner, courtesy of a dominant win in Monaco, while a further triumph in Monza helped him to fifth in the championship – with his sights fully on a title run in 2022.
Pourchaire also got his first taste of Formula One machinery when he stepped into the cockpit of an Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN car during a private testing session in Budapest. He impressed the team with his quick adaptation to the car – the most powerful he had ever driven – and his methodical and professional approach to the day.
18-year-old Faria, hailing from Rio de Janeiro, is a fast-rising talent from a country with a proven racing heritage and, since starting with karting in late 2014, has been showing promising speed, clinching national titles before making a double switch – to single-seaters and to Europe – in 2019.
A first season in British F4 saw him finish third in the rookie standings and, when COVID 19 halted competition in his second year in the series, he made the switch to British F3. This choice was rewarded with a podium in 2020 and a battle for the title in 2021, featuring nine podiums and a famous win in Spa-Francorchamps.
Alongside his racing career, Roberto is a student, currently in the second year of his International Baccalaureate. With a bright mind, heaps of talent on track and the support of the Sauber Academy, Roberto Faria will be a young driver to watch in 2022.
Théo Pourchaire, Sauber Academy: “Sauber Academy has been an incredible support throughout my career and I am so happy to continue with them for 2022. The way the team has been following me in the junior formulas has been incredible, I have felt part of the Sauber family since day one and I aim to continue repaying their trust this season, pushing for an even better year. I have the experience of one F2 campaign under the belt and I am ready to fight at the front from the first race in Bahrain.”
Roberto Faria, Sauber Academy: “Joining the Sauber Academy is something special for me and I am grateful to the team for this opportunity. As a young driver, knowing I can rely on the experience and the know-how of a team that developed some of the biggest names in motorsport is huge and I am looking forward to repaying the trust that has been put in me. I can’t wait for the season to start and show the progress I am making.”
Beat Zehnder, Sporting Director of Sauber Motorsport: “The Sauber Academy’s 2022 roster is very promising. In Théo, we have one of the most exciting young drivers coming through the ranks and it will be very interesting to see how he progresses even further this season. He impressed us with his development over the years and we know there’s even more to come from him. We are also delighted to welcome Roberto to the Sauber Academy. His early results have been impressive, especially as he had to deal with the difficult transition from karting to single-seaters and South America to Europe at the same time. We believe the Academy will help Roberto develop in the next steps of his motorsport journey: we are looking forward to unlock all his potential together.”