Yahoo Autos Vandoorne departs DS Penske
Stoffel Vandoorne is leaving the DS Penske Formula E team after two seasons with the squad.
The former McLaren Formula 1 driver joined the team off the back of a championship win with Mercedes, which exited Formula E at the end of Season 8. While he hasn’t added to his haul of three race victories over the last two years, he did finish on the podium in Monaco earlier this year. He rounded out the current campaign with a pair of ninth place finishes in London last week.
“We are truly grateful to Stoffel for his commitment and the outstanding performances he has delivered for DS Penske,” said team principal Jay Penske. “We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Vandoorne added: “My journey with DS Penske has been an incredible experience. I am thankful to the team for their unwavering support and look forward to new challenges ahead.”
Vandoorne’s next destination is currently unclear, with speculation linking him to a move to NEOM McLaren — which was previously the HWA and Mercedes squad which Vandoorne raced for in Seasons 5-8 — although that team’s test and development driver Taylor Barnard is thought to be a front-runner for that seat if Jake Hughes does not return.
The other Stellantis-affiliated team, Maserati MSC Racing, is a more likely destination. Its current driver Maximilian Guenther is expected to fill the vacancy created by Vandoorne at DS Penske.
Outside of Formula E, Vandoorne currently drives for another Stellantis brand, Peugeot, in the World Endurance Championship and serves as a test and reserve driver for Aston Martin’s F1 team, which he will drive for in a Pirelli tire test at Spa-Francorchamps next Tuesday and Wednesday.
