Stoffel Vandoorne He is a driver with a very tight calendar 2024. The Belgian driver competes in Formula E World Cup to the DS Penske team and will continue as an F1 test driver at Aston Martin. However, for Fernando Alonso’s former teammate at McLaren, this was not enough and in 2024 he will debut as the team’s starting driver. Peugeot for the top WEC category with a new Hypercar: the 9X8. MD had the opportunity to chat with him precisely during a private test of the French car to evaluate all that his new challenge has to offer.
Although Vandoorne explained that one of the big changes was the wheels, The highlight of the new 9×8 is the appearance of a rear spoileror after the revolution of the wingless model last season. At Imola, an event that will take place this coming weekend, they will confirm whether that retreat has been worthwhile.
“When you have a new car, there are always a lot of questions about how it will perform compared to the previous one. I think we will find out at Imola but logically we need some time to optimize and get the full potential“
It should be noted that Stoffel already made his debut last season, replacing Müller in the last race of the year at Fuji and that he spent the entire campaign as a reserve driver. He knows the car, he knows them very well.
“You’re always pushing in every area to improve everything. Sometimes you’re a bit restricted but there’s a long list of changes. As a driver you always want more power, more grip, more everything. You want to make a step forward in all. aspects. Hopefully we will improve long time one of the weak points”
In the private tests in Aragon a few weeks ago, the Belgian did not want to jump into the pool and say whether the progress was enough to compete for victories and he also did not want to take the risk to consider that the first rounds will be complicated. What they want is to ensure good preparation the legendary 24H of Le Mans event.
“Sometimes you have to look back to move forward. Obviously it depends a little bit on the BoP. It’s a new car and we have to wait to judge. You always have goals. Each of the factories wants to do well at Le Mans .It is a personal goal but also for the team it is the most important race. I don’t want to say that other races are not important to me, but if you have a good race at Le Mans the year is almost over.. “A lot of our efforts are focused on that.”
The pressure of Le Mans
French car with important new features and at Le Mans. All the necessary ingredients to have many eyes on them. At MD we wanted to ask him about the pressure but the former F1 driver dismissed the matter by joking and saying it was a question for the French. Jokes aside, his enthusiasm is maximum.
“First of all it’s exciting. Peugeot is an iconic brand at Le Mans. I remember seeing the 908 race there and be successful. “I think we just have to try to repeat the success they already achieved in the past.”
“The car seemed to perform very well at Le Mans last year. It was a high speed circuit and especially this year with 20 Hypercars will have a good show but it will also have chaos and it is important to avoid all the problems that exist. “You have to find the balance.”
So we have to be enthusiastic about the new challenge of the 2022 Formula E world champion. He was present in three disciplines, showing that there is no blood in his veins, only fuel there.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
