2023 F2 Champion Theo Pourchaire said he believes to be on the same level as the McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.
In 2023, we'll see two new rookie drivers in Formula One. Williams found an American driver, Logan Sargeant, as a replacement for Nicholas Latifi, and McLaren replaced Daniel Ricciardo with Oscar Piastri.
Rookie seasons are often very challenging for drivers, and it proved to be the case with Sargeant, who struggled to match his teammate's pace throughout the whole season.
Piastri, on the other hand, managed to impress every single person inside his team, beat Lando Norris on multiple occasions, achieved grand prix two podiums, and even a sprint race victory.
Drivers coming from F2 to F1 are not familiar with multiple tracks in the calendar, as the McLaren team principal recently said, but he praised Piastri for his ability to learn and adjust super quickly.
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The Australian achieved almost a hundred points during his first season in F1 and was awarded the Rookie of the Year during the FIA Gala ceremony.
Many drivers in the rookie series are waiting to get a chance to prove themselves, just like the 22-year-old McLaren driver did this season.
2023 Formula 2 World Champion Theo Pourchaire raced against Piastri on multiple occasions and believes he could match his pace. He said on Pitstop Podcast:
"He’s an exceptional racing driver. It’s tough to say, but I believe I am on his level. So if I have my chance to drive F1 and show my potential – I am a vice F3 Champion, only three points behind him."
Pouchaire is currently a part of the Alfa Romeo/ Sauber team but not in the position of the first or second driver, so we won't see him in a Grand Prix race unless something happens to one of the main drivers.
The young Frenchman has shown great promise so far as he became the youngest person to win the Formula 3 and Formula 2 Championships. He added:
"Youngest race winner, same in F2 – now Champion in F2. I just need an opportunity to get into Formula 1."
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