French racing driver Théo Pourchaire added another chapter to his diverse and fast-developing motorsport career with his return to Formula E machinery during the 2025 Rookie Test at the Berlin Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit. Currently competing in the European Le Mans Series with Algarve Pro Racing, Pourchaire continues to impress with his adaptability across multiple racing disciplines. His latest outing with Maserati MSG Racing—following his participation in the FP0 rookie session at the Jeddah E-Prix earlier this year reflected interest in his potential as a future Formula E race driver.
While the Berlin track was entirely new territory for Pourchaire, his previous experience testing the Gen3 car in early 2022 and extensive simulator work meant he arrived well-prepared to contribute meaningfully to the team’s programme. Having narrowly missed out on a full-time Formula E seat with Nissan in the 2022–23 season, Pourchaire remains a key prospect in the paddock. His Berlin test provided valuable insight into his readiness, technical ability, and ambitions within the rapidly evolving electric racing landscape.
A cross-continental commitment
Pourchaire’s day began under challenging conditions, having flown from Brazil just hours before the test session. Despite the fatigue typically associated with long-haul travel and time zone changes, he arrived with focus and a positive mindset.
“Yeah I was in Brazil a few hours ago and sorry for the delay, I was eating some really good pasta bolognese in the team catering, but overall a little bit tired but it’s fine.”
His light-hearted comment illustrated his relaxed approach to the demanding schedule. Nevertheless, once behind the wheel, he showed no sign of weariness, immediately finding a rhythm on track.
Settling into a new circuit and familiar car
The Berlin Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit is renowned for its unique layout and surface, characteristics that can challenge even the most experienced drivers. For Pourchaire, it represented an entirely new challenge, as he had never raced or tested there before.
“Yeah I mean I like the team a lot, I’ve been doing a lot of simulator of course throughout the year, participating in the FP0 in Jeddah as well, so I know the car a little bit, I still have a lot of things to learn but performance wise this morning was not too bad, so it’s a new track as well to me, so Berlin I’ve never never driven here, but it’s a cool track and everything is going well at the moment, so we just do the test programme and this afternoon we’ll put some new tyres and go quick hopefully.”
Pourchaire’s prior simulator work, coupled with his hands-on experience from Jeddah and earlier Gen3 tests, allowed him to quickly adapt. His ability to transfer simulator knowledge into effective real-world performance is crucial in Formula E, where limited track time and complex car systems demand efficiency from the driver.
Customising the car for individual driving styles
A defining feature of Formula E is the extraordinary scope of in-race and setup adjustments available to drivers. The challenge lies in understanding and optimising these settings to suit individual preferences and maximise performance. Pourchaire embraced this technical dimension of the sport wholeheartedly.
“Yeah a lot of, I mean some of the items they are trying for next season as well, and also just trying things with me, trying some different systems in the car, as Fred said there’s like a thousand things you can do in this car, so you can really set up the car for each driver and I have a very different driving style compared to Stoffel or compared to Jake, so I’m trying to find my systems in the car and yeah well we’ve been working on those.”
This adaptability to tailor the car’s systems—including brake feel, energy recovery, and power delivery—demonstrates Pourchaire’s technical acumen. It also highlights the evolving role of a Formula E driver, who must combine driving skill with engineering insight to optimise performance lap after lap.
A versatile racer searching for stability
Pourchaire’s career path reflects remarkable versatility. From junior single-seaters to endurance racing and tests in F1, he has experienced an unusually broad spectrum of motorsport disciplines by the age of 22. Despite this breadth, he has yet to secure a long-term, full-time racing “home.”
“Yeah true I’m still looking for a home, so I’m a homeless racing driver, but yeah it’s, I mean I’ve been doing a lot of things from Super Formula to IndyCar, a little bit of F1 in testing, F2, Formula E and Endurance Racing actually, so Endurance Racing is very cool, Formula E is very cool, I see some drivers doing both championships and it’s clearly looking very very nice to do, so I would love participating in those two world championships.”
His comment reveals not only the practical realities of the motorsport industry, where young drivers often pursue multiple avenues, but also his genuine enthusiasm for combining endurance and electric single-seater racing. The ability to manage dual programmes is increasingly common among modern racers, allowing them to diversify skills and career options.
Ready for the Next Step—Whether Gen3 Evo or Gen4
Maserati’s commitment to the next phase of Formula E—Gen4 regulations—is well underway, and Pourchaire is involved through extensive simulator work. He expressed clear readiness to compete at the highest level, regardless of whether that opportunity arises in the immediate Gen3 Evo season or after the transition to Gen4 cars.
“I feel ready to drive at any time in Formula E, from next season why not, at the moment there is nothing, nothing is sure, I think it would be great for sure before going into the Gen 4 to have a bit more race experience, but yeah let’s see, I’m doing a lot of simulator with Stellantis, working already on the future, let’s see, as I said of course the Formula E world championship is really nice and if I can do probably both, WEC, Formula E, I don’t know, let’s see what the future holds, I’m ready for anything as I said.”
“Yeah sure, for sure, let’s see, but I will try to find the best opportunities for sure.”
His pragmatic yet ambitious outlook reflects a driver aware of motorsport’s uncertainties but fully prepared to seize any chance to race and develop.
