Vandoorne named Peugeot reserve driver in WEC
General
- GPblog.com
Stoffel Vandoorne has been appointed as reserve driver for Peugeot's hypercar team competing in the World Endurance Championship. The Belgian made the announcement on Twitter announced. It is the third racing class Vandoorne will be associated with.
Vandoorne drove for McLaren in Formula 1 in 2017 and 2018, at a time when McLaren was going through the worst period in the team's history. The Belgian finished both seasons in 16th place and managed to finish in the points only seven times in total. After the 2018 season, Vandoorne left for Formula E, where he went considerably better, winning the title with Mercedes in 2022.
Third championship that Vandoorne joins
Vandoorne will have a busy year in 2023. Besides his announced duties with Peugeot's hypercar team, the Belgian remains active in Formula E; this time not for Mercedes - the German team withdrew from the competition after last season - but for DS Penske. Vandoorne is also a test and reserve driver for Aston Martin's Formula 1 team. However, the Belgian himself sees no problem with that: "In my opinion, this schedule is the perfect balance between Endurance, Formula E and Formula 1. It's great to be able to participate in the development of the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar. We are going to build a bright future together!"
Peugeot entered the competition mid-season last year. The team only participated in three races, but managed to finish in the top five twice. This year, Peugeot will participate in a full season of the World Endurance Championship for the first time, and the French team will compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time since 2011.