A young Mercedes driver and former F2 champion has landed himself a role in all-electric racing series Formula E.

Theo Pourchaire won the 2023 F2 championship, an achievement which led him to be linked with many F1 seats while he was still in his 20s.

But the 2024 F1 grid remarkably saw the same 20 drivers that had finished the 2023 season maintaining their position for 2024, which meant that Pourchaire had to make do with a reserve driver role with Hinwil-based outfit Sauber (now Audi), while also enjoying some sporadic appearances in IndyCar.

Heading into 2025, Pourchaire saw the likes of Oliver Bearman, Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto all being handed full-time opportunities at various teams on the F1 grid, but still the 2023 F2 champion had to settle for a reserve driver role.

Ahead of 2026, he was even dropped from that position, and is now a development driver for Mercedes.

Pourchaire has made three appearances in F1 practice sessions over the years, although they all came across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Now, with a seat in F1 looking further away than ever, 22-year-old Pourchaire has made a different career move, nailing down a full-time drive in Formula E.

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Pourchaire gets Formula E opportunity

It has been announced that Pourchaire will be joining the Opel GSE Formula E team for the 2026/27 season, which starts in December.

The Opel GSE team are the newest addition to the Formula E grid, and are delighted to have a driver of Pourchaire’s pedigree on their team, as the championship prepares to welcome its GEN4 era.

Pourchaire said of his latest career move: “It feels great to be joining the Opel GSE Formula E Team and the Opel family – an iconic brand with a rich racing history which is now making a name for itself in the World Championship.

“It’s the next step in my career and the biggest single-seater opportunity I’ve had so far. The new GEN4 generation is a perfect fit for my transition from Formula 2: more power, all-wheel drive and incredible acceleration – that’s exactly the kind of car I love. I want to learn, continue developing further and I will give my all from day one to ensure Opel succeed.”

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The 41-year-old British megastar is not only one of greatest drivers in the sport’s history, he has also been wildly successful from a commercial perspective. Just like his billionaire girlfriend Kim Kardashian.

Hamilton earns a reported $60million annual salary with Ferrari, but that is just part of the success story. He also owns a string of high-end properties and investments, and one of those – made just four years ago – is already paying off in a huge way.

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At least 13 of the current 22 drivers who are lucky enough to hold a full-time seat on the Formula 1 grid live or own property in Monaco.

As well as being the host destination for the Monaco Grand Prix (the jewel in the motorsport crown) the principality also represents a level of opulence most of us will only ever dream of.

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The flying Finn is a two-time world champion of the sport, claiming his championship victories in 1998 and 1999 with the McLaren team and outpointing the great Michael Schumacher in the process.

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Two grand prix weekends were cancelled in April due to the conflict in the Middle East, with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia falling off the schedule.

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The F1 summer break has arrived and it presents fans with the perfect chance to freshen up their team kit wardrobe for a fraction of the price.

Whether you’re a fan of Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, or just want to hear about all things McLaren, the F1 Store have reduced some of the hottest pieces of papaya team merchandise in their mid-season sale.

The F1 Store are offering up to 50 per cent off official F1 clothing, including price drops on replica team kit, casual clothing and more, with deals on McLaren merch as well as reductions on products from the other 10 teams on the 2026 grid.

Click here to shop the full range of discounts in the F1 Store’s mid-season sale or read on to find out how to get the best discounts on McLaren and Norris kit before the deal ends on Wednesday, August 5.

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How to find best deals on McLaren kit in F1 Store mid-season sale

• Head to the F1 Store homepage here.
• Select ‘McLaren’ from the F1 team dropdown to browse the Woking-based squad’s discounted merch.
• Scroll through the options to find everything from Norris’ exclusive Silverstone tee for just £20 to the Brit’s 2025 drivers’ champion cap for £36.
• If you’re looking for the Norris tees reduced to just £18 and shown above, click here for the McLaren Lando Norris T-Shirt in black and click here to buy the McLaren Norris Unisex Driver T-Shirt featuring the champion’s profile photo.
• Add desired products to bag and shop and checkout as usual!
• If discount is not automatically applied, enter code: MIDSALE at checkout.

Seen something else you like that isn’t included in the mid-season sale? Use code: GPFANS17 at checkout to get discounts on brand new products on the F1 Store.

You can also enjoy free shipping on orders over £39 when shopping on the site that manages the F1 Store, Fanatics. Just use code: FREE at checkout to activate.

Please note if you purchase anything from a product link on this page, we may earn a small affiliate commission.

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