Stoffel vandoorne

Former F1 racer and 2022 Formula E world champion Stoffel Vandoorne will join Peugeot’s hypercar effort for next year’s World Endurance Championship. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free The former McLaren F1 driver and current DS Penske Formula E racer will likely replace Gustavo Menezes in the current number 94 car, joining Peugeot as a full time factory driver in the Hypercar class for the first time. Vandoorne has previous WEC experience having raced for Alpine’s LMP1 team in 2019 and JOTA in the LMP2 class in 2021. He stepped into the Peugeot 9X8 at the latest WEC round at Fuji, replacing the injured Nico Muller. The 31-year-old said signing with Peugeot was a means of achieving his goal to return to the endurance series. “My goal was clearly to come back to this championship and even more now with the Hypercar class, with so many manufacturers,” Vandoorne said. “Having the opportunity to fight for the victory and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is … [Read more...] about Vandoorne joins Peugeot’s hypercar squad for 2024

The Belgian joined Peugeot as a reserve driver for 2023 alongside a Formula E programme with fellow Stellantis-affiliated squad DS Penske, and was called up to sub for Nico Muller in Fuji when the Swiss injured his collarbone. After finishing seventh in Japan aboard the #94 Peugeot alongside Loic Duval and Gustavo Menezes , 2021-22 FE champion Vandoorne will become a full season driver for 2024, marking his first full season involvement since 2021. That year he finished second in the LMP2 standings for Jota and narrowly missed out on a class victory at Le Mans. Vandoorne had previously made two outings in 2019 in LMP1, finishing third on his debut with the SMP Racing squad at Spa, before matching that result in the final outing for the BR Engineering BR1 programme at Le Mans. "I’m really happy to join the team as official driver for the 2024 season," said Vandoorne, who previously started 41 grands prix for McLaren in Formula 1. "I have always appreciated the FIA … [Read more...] about Vandoorne gets Peugeot WEC drive for 2024 season after Fuji cameo

Max Verstappen caused a sensation when Red Bull launched him into F1 at the age of 17 with just a year’s racing experience under his belt. While pundits and ex-drivers fumed at Red Bull’s plans to put someone so young in a racing car, the FIA hurriedly rewrote the rulebook to prevent it happening again . It’s therefore certain that, for the time being at least, no new driver will have a shorter route to F1 than Verstappen, nor claim their first points at a younger age than he did in Malaysia last week. Verstappen is the latest of F1’s second generation drivers, and was born not long after father Jos made his F1 breakthrough. Ironically, his father was also considered somewhat inexperienced when he made his debut for Benetton in the 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix as a stand-in for JJ Lehto , aged 22 and with just 53 starts to his name. The older Verstappen continued in F1 driving for largely uncompetitive teams until the early 2000s. By the time he bowed out of F1 following a … [Read more...] about Max Verstappen’s Route to F1

Hirakawa will become part of McLaren's driver development programme, supporting the Woking team in its simulator as well as conducting a testing programme with its 2021 MCL35M car. The 29-year-old will dovetail his F1 testing role with his current drive for Toyota, with which he is currently leading the Hypercar class in the World Endurance Championship. Hirakawa and his team-mates Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley are the reigning champions too, having won both the overall title and the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2022. “I’m happy to have joined the McLaren F1 team as a reserve driver," Hirakawa said on the margins of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix. "It’s an exciting prospect to work with such a respected team and I’m grateful to Zak [Brown] and Andrea [Stella] for the opportunity. "I’ve already met the team and experienced the simulator at MTC which has allowed me to hit the ground running. I’m now fully prepared and focused for the remainder of 2023. "I am grateful … [Read more...] about McLaren signs Le Mans winner Hirakawa as F1 reserve driver

McLaren boss Zak Brown had a little dig at Alex Palou’s expense as he outlined the team’s reserve driver status for the rest of 2023. McLaren’s reserve driver pool was unclear following IndyCar Champion Alex Palou’s decision to cut and run from the McLaren IndyCar team before turning a wheel for them. Racing for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023, Palou had been due to join McLaren’s IndyCar squad for next season, but severed ties with McLaren and his own management team – Palou’s decision not to join McLaren has resulted in a legal battle starting between the two sides. Who are McLaren F1’s reserve drivers? With Palou and McLaren at loggerheads heading into the part of the season where the Spaniard was expected to take part in a rookie practice session for the F1 team, McLaren have instead added a new name to their books. Former Haas driver Mick Schumacher, thanks to his Mercedes connection, remains one of the names available for call-up by McLaren, as well as Stoffel Vandoorne. … [Read more...] about Zak Brown lands Alex Palou dig as McLaren add new reserve driver to the fold