Stoffel Vandoorne to become regular driver in Peugeot 9X8 following his performance at the 6 Hours of Fuji – Schedule clashes with Formula E looming
Stoffel Vandoorne will be a regular driver for Peugeot in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2024. He recently made his debut at the 6 Hours of Fuji in the Peugeot 9X8 hypercar. He replaces Gustavo Menezes there, who will leave Peugeot after the end of the season.
The Belgian joined Peugeot as a reserve driver in 2023. His main programme was to compete in Formula E with Team DS Penske, part of parent company Stellantis. At Fuji, he was called up as a reserve driver for Nico Müller after the Swiss injured his collarbone.
Following his seventh-place finish in Japan in the 94 Peugeot alongside Loic Duval and Menezes, Vandoorne, the 2022 Formula E champion, will drive a full season in the WEC in 2024 for the first time since 2021.
That year, he finished second in the LMP2 standings for Jota and narrowly missed out on class victory at Le Mans. Prior to that, Vandoorne made two appearances in the LMP1 class in 2019. He finished third at Spa on his debut with Team SMP Racing, before repeating that result at Le Mans in his final outing for BR Engineering’s BR1 programme.
“I am very excited to join the team as an official driver for the 2024 season. I have always appreciated and am familiar with the WEC, having raced in 2019 and 2021,” said the Belgian.
“My goal was to return to this championship, and now more than ever because of the hypercar class, where so many car manufacturers are represented. “
“To have the opportunity to fight for victory and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is fantastic and I think it’s a dream for many drivers. I’m happy to be part of this team and look forward to working with Peugeot in the future.”
Jean-Marc Finot, in official designation “Senior Vice President Stellantis Motorsport”, added: “As Stoffel showed at Fuji, his team spirit, performance and consistency are in line with those of his teammates.”
“We know Stoffel very well as he drives for DS Penske in Formula E. So he is already part of the Stellantis Motorsport family of drivers. His ability to adapt and get into the routines straight away shows that both series, WEC and Formula E, complement each other. It is an advantage to have drivers who participate in both racing series. “
There is, however, a question mark behind the 2024 season: the Berlin E-Prix clashes with the 6 Hours of Spa. And there is also a placeholder in the Formula E calendar for the weekend of the WEC opener in Qatar, the venue of which has not yet been determined. So it remains to be seen whether Vandoorne will compete in Formula E at all.
Gustavo Menezes’ future has not yet been communicated. However, he promises that his 2024 season will be “fast”.
