Vandoorne: “I hope Vergne and I fight for the title”

Stoffel Vandoorne has changed its status in recent months. The wasted talent of F1 transformed himself into a world champion last year, with a first world title in Formula E. The Belgian reached a milestone and became the most prominent driver in the electric championship. This season, the ex-pilot McLaren in F1 will have to enlist his hat as reigning champion and main favorite.

Let's go on an adventure! Mercedes having ended with the withdrawal of the German manufacturer, it is with DS-Penske that Stoffel Vandoorne will once again attack the crown. “Obviously, I'm joining a group of people who have had a lot of success in the past, confides the 2022 champion. I feel like together, with my own experiences that I've had over the last four years in Formula E, we both have a lot to give to each other. Our ambitions are very high. Our common goals are to fight for victories and win championships. »

Vandoorne does not want “caring about others”

At DS-Penske, for the first year of collaboration between the French manufacturer and the American team, it is a real dream-team which was formed in 2023. Stoffel Vandoorne joins Jean-Éric Vergne, double Formula E champion in 2018 and 2019 and loyal to the DS family since 2015. “We've known each other for a while now,” Vandoorne said of his new teammate. This is going to be the first time we've actually worked together on the track, but so far it's going really well. We both have a lot of wins between us and a lot of podiums. We have a lot of experience and I think that will be beneficial for our driving and for the team. »

According to Stoffel Vandoorne, with the arrival of the new generation of car Gen3, it's difficult to establish a hierarchy before the season even starts. The Belgian simply hopes that DS-Penske will be at the forefront, guided by a certain optimism after the pre-season tests in Valencia. The Franco-American team had set the 2nd and 3rd best absolute times in Spain. “Hopefully it will be between me and JEV to fight. This would be a luxury position for our team. But we must continue to work hard. There are a lot of new developments coming with Gen3, a lot of opportunities to create a very strong package, and that's where our focus is. We'll worry about the others later. »

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