Pourchaire replaces Vandoorne at Peugeot

Text & Images: Rick Kiewiet

In a press statement today, Peugeot confirmed that Théo Pourchaire will make his FIA World Endurance Championship debut at the upcoming 8 Hours of Bahrain before stepping into a full-time role with Team Peugeot TotalEnergies in 2026.

The 22-year-old Frenchman, who has spent this year as the team’s development driver, will take the place of Stoffel Vandoorne in the #94 PEUGEOT 9X8 for the WEC season finale. Vandoorne’s contract concludes after the 6 Hours of Fuji, ending a two-year spell in which the Belgian drove 13 races with Peugeot, scoring two Hyperpole starts and playing an important part in the 9X8’s development.

Pourchaire during last year's Rookie Test at Bahrain

Pourchaire’s promotion marks the continuation of a journey that began in Bahrain last year, when he first tested the car during the official Rookie Test. That opportunity followed a diverse single-seater career that saw him crowned FIA Formula 2 champion, gather international experience in Super Formula and IndyCar, and serve as a Formula 1 reserve driver. His performance and feedback in Bahrain led to a development role for 2025, which he has since combined with private tests, extensive simulator work, and a maiden season in endurance racing with LMP2 outings in ELMS and at Le Mans.

Now, a year on from that first taste, Pourchaire will return to Sakhir not just as a tester, but as a race driver in the Hypercar category. He will share the #94 entry with Loïc Duval and Malthe Jakobsen, while Peugeot has already confirmed that he will remain with the team in a full-time capacity from 2026.

The move underlines Peugeot’s strategy of gradually integrating new talents alongside its established line-up. After recently announcing Nick Cassidy as part of its long-term Hypercar plans, the addition of Pourchaire provides further proof of the French marque’s commitment to developing the next generation of endurance drivers.

For Pourchaire, Bahrain will mark both a debut and a homecoming of sorts. The Frenchman enjoyed success at the desert venue in Formula 2 and karting, and now prepares to tackle the iconic circuit at the highest level of sportscar racing, taking his first steps towards a full-time place on the WEC grid.