You may remember that Vandoorne had already bid farewell to Peugeot Sport following the 2025 edition of the 6 Hours of Fuji. A few weeks later, however, the French manufacturer ultimately extended the Belgian’s contract for another season after Jean-Éric Vergne asked to take a step back.
One year on, at the very same Fuji Speedway, the 34-year-old Belgian is once again preparing to leave the French squad. This time, however, the farewell should be final. Here is why.
Why is Stoffel Vandoorne leaving?
Vandoorne had been expected to join Genesis Magma Racing at the end of 2025 before the move fell through, prompting him to remain with Peugeot Sport for 2026. It gave him a third full season behind the wheel of the 9X8.
This time, the Belgian really is preparing to close the Satory chapter. Not to join a WEC rival, but to return to Formula E, the championship in which he was crowned world champion in 2021-22.
Vandoorne will represent Jaguar TCS Racing next season, having previously served as the team’s reserve driver. He will replace Mitch Evans, who has moved in the opposite direction by joining Stellantis Motorsport and, more specifically, Opel GSE Formula E Team.
What legacy will Vandoorne leave at Peugeot Sport?
Vandoorne joined Peugeot Sport as a reserve driver in 2023 before making his 9X8 race debut at the 6 Hours of Fuji in place of Nico Müller, who was recovering from an injury to his left collarbone.
Promoted to a full-time seat the following season, the Belgian played a part in the development of the revised, rear-wing-equipped version of the French Hypercar. He claimed his first podium with Peugeot by finishing third in the 2025 Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, alongside Loïc Duval and Malthe Jakobsen.
Retained for 2026, he has shared the #93 this season with Paul di Resta and Nick Cassidy. Their best result so far is seventh place at the 6 Hours of Spa, although there is reason to hope for considerably more at Fuji this weekend.
Who will replace him?
Last year, Vandoorne left Peugeot after the 6 Hours of Fuji to allow new signing Théo Pourchaire to make his competitive debut in the 9X8 before the end of 2025 and prepare as effectively as possible for the following campaign.
Peugeot Sport is set to follow exactly the same approach this time, but over two races. As we revealed several weeks ago, the French manufacturer will significantly reshuffle its driver line-up ahead of next season.
While Loïc Duval and Paul di Resta will remain, Jean-Éric Vergne is set to return. Nick Cassidy is also expected to continue, unlike Théo Pourchaire, who recently stated that he intends to focus on Formula E with Opel next year. The two newcomers will be Robert Shwartzman and Alex Quinn.
According to our information, Quinn will join di Resta and Cassidy for the final two rounds of the season: the 6 Hours of Barcelona on 18 October and the 6 Hours of Monza on 8 November. Unlike his future Russian team-mate, the Briton has no previous experience of racing a Hypercar.
The decision is therefore hardly surprising, particularly with Peugeot’s attention now firmly focused on 2027 and the next iteration of the 9X8.