Alfa Romeo F1 test debut a “dream come true” - Pourchaire

The 17-year-old Sauber junior had his maiden outing in F1 machinery at the Hungaroring on Wednesday as he got behind the wheel of a 2019-spec Alfa Romeo C38 at the Hungarian Grand Prix venue.

Alfa Romeo organised Pourchaire’s run to take place alongside Pirelli’s 18-inch tyre test for 2022, which Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari have all been involved in this week.

“Yesterday [was] a dream came true, I drove for the first time [in] my life a Formula 1 car,” Pourchaire wrote on Twitter.

"I remember dreaming of that day as a kid. I would like to thanks the whole Alfa Romeo team for this amazing experience and unforgettable day.”

While no specific details regarding the test were provided, Alfa Romeo appeared pleased with the work Pourchaire completed.

“Sauber Academy driver Theo Pourchaire had his first taste of F1 machinery during a private test at the Hungaroring yesterday,” the Hinwil-based outfit said in a statement on social media.

“The young Frenchman completed a full programme throughout the session: a good job and the perfect send-off before the break!”

Pourchaire is considered a star of the future having made a strong start to his rookie F2 season after narrowly missing out on the Formula 3 title last year.

The Frenchman, who became F2’s youngest-ever winner in Monaco, currently sits sixth in the championship at the half-way mark in 2021.

Alfa Romeo is yet to decide upon its driver line-up for 2022, with Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi both out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

Former F2 racer Mahaveer Raghunathan also tested for Alfa Romeo in Budapest.