Vandoorne to miss Bahrain WEC rookie test due to appendicitis
Stoffel Vandoorne will not be able to take part in the World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain due to appendicitis.
Vandoorne was due to get his first chance to sample the Peugeot 9X8 LMH car at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday, a day after the title-deciding eight-hour round of the 2022 season.
But following second practice for the weekend on Thursday, Peugeot announced that the reigning Formula E champion will not be present for the test after being diagnosed with appendicitis.
The team plans to replace the Belgian driver in its test line-up in the coming days.
“Due to appendicitis, Stoffel Vandoorne will not participate in the FIA WEC rookie test day at Bahrain, 13 November,” the French manufacturer said in a statement.
“Team Peugeot TotalEnergies wishes him a speedy recovery. The new organisation of the line-up will be revealed in the next days.”
Vandoorne was due to share the #93 Peugeot 9X8 with full-season driver Mikkel Jensen as part of a schedule that would have seen him take over the driving duties after Jensen had completed the initial laps.
Peugeot learned about Vandoorne’s condition late on Thursday, just a few hours before it announced that he won’t be able to take part in the annual post-season test.
Stoffel Vandoorne, Mercedes-Benz EQ, 2nd position, celebrates on arrival in Parc Ferme after securing the world championship title
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images
It is unclear what kind of treatment he will require or when he will be able to return to the wheel of a racing car.
Vandoorne is not in Bahrain as he was not scheduled to arrive in the Gulf nation until later in the week to begin preparations for a first run in a prototype car of any kind since his full-season WEC campaign with JOTA in 2021.
Vandoorne had earned a chance to test the Peugeot LMH car after joining sister brand DS to defend his Formula E title in 2023, the first year of the series’ Gen3 rules.
Fellow Formula E driver Maximilian Gunther, who will race for another Stellantis brand Maserati in the 2023 season, will also be making an appearance in the rookie test on Sunday.
Gunther is due to share the #94 Peugeot with two-time WTCR title winner Yann Ehrlacher and 19-year-old Malthe Jakobsen.
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