Overview
- Pourchaire joins Mercedes’ development roster for 2026, focusing on simulator and factory-based work at the team’s Brackley headquarters.
- He becomes part of a group that includes Joshua Durksen, Doriane Pin and former F1 racer Anthony Davidson.
- Frederik Vesti remains Mercedes’ designated reserve (third) driver, backing up race drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
- The Frenchman will combine his Mercedes duties with a confirmed full-time Hypercar drive for Peugeot in the 2026 World Endurance Championship.
- A 2023 F2 champion backed by Sauber, Pourchaire logged FP1 outings, had a brief 2024 IndyCar stint with McLaren, then shifted to endurance racing, including Le Mans, before this move; the announcement follows Mercedes unveiling a nine-driver junior roster led by Rashid Al Dhaheri and Ethan Jeff-Hall.