Theo Pourchaire has clarified comments made in an interview following his departure from McLaren’s IndyCar team. Current F2 champion Pourchaire was originally signed by McLaren to replace the injured David Malukas, but when his contract ended, the team decided to sign young Stake F1 driver Pourchaire instead, although Callum Ilott drove at the Indianapolis 500.

However, before Laguna Seca, news broke that Nolan Siegel would be in the No. 6 position, as Pourchaire stated in an interview with French publication AutoHebdo that “at first, I was surprised, I didn’t understand, I think it’s fake news.
“We just signed the contract a few weeks ago. I feel disgusted.

“Finally, the team called me within a minute, around 11 a.m. the same day, the day before I was scheduled to depart for Laguna Seca, to inform me that I had been eliminated from the program. They didn’t give me a specific reason.” Pourchaire has now moved to clarify those comments, claiming they were taken out of context, and labeling them as “completely inaccurate” of what he said.

Statement by Theo Pourchaire
“I read the article posted on AUTOhebdo this week and I am disappointed that my words and comments portray my interview seriously inaccurately,” Pourchaire wrote on social media. “Although I was surprised by McLaren’s decision to take me out of the car before Laguna Seca, we ended amicably.

“It is certainly disappointing not to be able to race with the team, but they have upheld and honored every clause of their contract, and Zak [Brown], Gavin [Ward] and Tony [Kanaan], along with The remaining members of the team, have fully supported me and my desire to return to racing IndyCar or other types of racing cars.

“There is no doubt about McLaren’s stability in their partnerships and sponsorship, so for AUTOhebdo to bring that up in my interview is completely wrong. “I appreciate my time with the team, don’t hold any grudges, and I hope this will help correct previous perceptions of the team and myself.”