The reigning Formula 2 champion, Pourchaire was called to substitute drive Arrow McLaren’s No. 6 Chevrolet in place of the injured David Malukas.
A patient approach to both practice sessions built up to an improved pace with every lap turned. Although qualifying left Pouchaire starting 22nd for the race, he converted that into a measured drive and progressed through the field to finish a respectable 11th – taking honours as the biggest mover.
“Amazing experience,” Pourchaire told Autosport.
“I'm super proud of the performance this weekend. Coming here to Long Beach without knowing the car, the track, and the team as well, the first time with the team, it's an amazing performance.
“I learned so much during this race with all the pit stops and also we had one safety car and I could overtake a lot of cars, so, and I enjoyed it a lot.”
Pourchaire was vocal about his affinity for IndyCar, noting how he grew up watching the likes of fellow countryman Simon Pagenaud. And the series appeared to live up – or even surpass – his expectations.
“For me, the racing in IndyCar is amazing,” Pourchaire said.
“The races are really tough physically. I feel okay. It was difficult because it was the first one, but in the end, I'm quite happy about my performance physically as well.
“The racing is really good. It's so tough. We're fighting for a tenth of a second or even less. I enjoyed it. Fighting with cars, going out of the pit lane on cold tyres, overtaking them; it's so cool. I enjoyed it. I hope to be back in the future.”
When asked about the different nuances of racing in Formula 2 compared to IndyCar, the first thing Pourchaire mentioned was the length of the races.
“IndyCar is way longer and it makes the racing really good because we have a lot of opportunities for the strategy,” he said.
Arrow McLaren opted to put Pourchaire on the conservative strategy that didn’t require him to save fuel, which allowed him to constantly push and gain significant experience in understanding how to overtake in North America’s premier open-wheel championship. Additionally, he learned the challenge of maximizing out-laps on cold tyres.
Source: Autosport