Peugeot Sport has chosen Stoffel Vandoorne as reserve driver for the 2023 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the second in which Peugeot will take part with its 9X8s.
The idea had already been born for some time and work was done in collaboration between the parts of Stellantis Motorsport, given that the Belgian is the DS-Penske driver in Formula E, the series in which he is reigning champion.
Vandoorne will therefore have to be ready in the event that one of Paul Di Resta/Mikkel Jensen/Jean-Éric Vergne (#93) and Loïc Duval/James Rossiter/Gustavo Menezes (#94) is unavailable and therefore unable to get behind the wheel of the Hypercar transalpine.
Among other things, the 30-year-old should have already ridden it during the Rookie Tests staged in Bahrain last November, but an attack of appendicitis resulting in surgery forced him to give up.
Maximilian Günther, Peugeot TotalEnergies, Peugeot 9X8
Photo by: DPPI
There will still be time for him to train during the tests, also because Peugeot has already said it wants to develop and improve the 9X8 by taking advantage of some of the five jokers allowed by the regulation over the course of the season, which will start on 17 March in Sebing.
“I think this program is perfect as a link between WEC, Formula E and F1 – said Vandoorne, who is also a test driver at Aston Martin – I am very happy to return to the world of endurance, where I think I have left something suspended”.
“It’s great to be part of Peugeot’s development, the 9X8 is a unique concept that has again made the brand talk a lot. We can build a beautiful future together!”
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