Official: Stoffel Vandoorne confirmed in Endurance

Following a not very convincing 2018 Formula 1 season, McLaren decided to let go of its young protégé. The Belgian driver was then confirmed as a development driver for Mercedes and also as a regular driver for the Formula E team, HWA Racelab. Stoffel Vandoorne notably reached the podium with a third place finish at the recent Rome E-Prix.

The new challenge for Vandoorne is now to shine during the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps but especially during the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. He now bears the colors of SMP Racing and will be behind the wheel of the BR1 No. 11, replacing the 2009 Formula 1 world champion, Jenson Button, who prefers to focus on his family life: «I really enjoyed racing for SMP Racing and was happy to be on the podium with this team, but I decided that I now need to spend more time at home with my fiancée during her pregnancy rather than two weeks at Le Mans. The decision was made easier for me because I believe Toyota is currently unbeatable.»

The 2015 GP2 champion will thus team up with another former Formula 1 driver, Vitaly Petrov, along with Mikhail Aleshin. Vandoorne will surely have the opportunity to compete against his former McLaren teammate, Fernando Alonso, who is also racing in Endurance but with Toyota.

The Belgian driver speaks about his new career direction: I am very happy to join SMP Racing and to drive the BR1 prototype no. 11 at my home race in Spa-Francorchamps and at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. LMP1 cars are very demanding and their performance is very close to that of Formula 1. I will have the opportunity to join ART Grand Prix and many people I worked with during my successful GP2 campaign. It is also a pleasure to work alongside experienced drivers such as Vitaly Petrov and Mikhail Aleshin. My goal is to contribute to the team’s performance and to work collaboratively with all the drivers to develop the BR1 prototype and make a good impression.