The 2025 World Endurance Championship season is drawing to a close, and the driver market is heating up.
With nine manufacturers set to compete in Hypercar in the WEC next year, movement is inevitable. Especially so at Peugeot, which is seeing its best talents poached.
One of them - Stoffel Vandoorne, no less - could even leave before the end of the season to make way for a recent Formula 2 champion.
Pourchaire's big shot
Even if the results aren't coming, Peugeot is pressing on and is even working on a brand new car for 2027, as The Race revealed several months ago. It's probably with that horizon in mind that Peugeot can still attract high-profile drivers.
Indeed, a few days ago, Peugeot Sport confirmed the news we had reported back in early July: Nick Cassidy will be joining in 2026.
But his arrival won't be the only change. Peugeot has already announced that Cassidy will be joined in a test next week by another driver we haven't often seen behind the wheel of the 9X8: Theo Pourchaire.
Like Malthe Jakobsen and Vandoorne before him, Pourchaire has a contract that guarantees him a race seat after one season spent as a reserve and development driver. That step is now coming for the 2023 F2 champion.
With the doors to Formula 1 not opening, the 22-year-old decided last year to try his luck in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren. While he still believes in his American dream and has asked Simon Pagenaud to boost his chances of making it happen, he will have to wait a little longer.
In the meantime, Peugeot placed him with Algarve Pro Racing in the European Le Mans Series to gain experience in endurance racing through LMP2. That brought him a first start in the Le Mans 24 Hours and several strong performances, including a pole position and a podium at Imola.
So far, nothing surprising. What is more striking, however, is that The Race understands Pourchaire is expected to make his racing debut in the 9X8 as early as the Bahrain 8 Hours (November 7), the 2025 WEC season finale.
Vandoorne on his way to Genesis
Of the six full-time Peugeot drivers, which one will give up his seat to Pourchaire in Bahrain? According to our information, it will be another GP2/F2 champion: Vandoorne. With Peugeot full-time since 2024, not counting his reserve year, the Belgian is now heading for the exit.
The former McLaren F1 driver is set to join Genesis Magma Racing in the coming weeks, even if the contract has not yet been signed by both parties. The GMR-001 recently completed its first laps and will enter Hypercar next year. There, Vandoorne will join Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani, the two drivers already confirmed by the Hyundai Group's premium brand.
Swapping Pourchaire in for Vandoorne before 2025 even ends may seem surprising, but it suits both parties. Indeed, Peugeot sees this as an opportunity to allow Pourchaire to gain race experience at the wheel of the 9X8 before contesting the full season in 2026.
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As for Vandoorne, being released earlier by Peugeot means he can take part in the tests conducted by Genesis Magma Racing before the end of the year, rather than having to wait until January to get his first taste of the GMR-001.
If you're keeping count, that makes two new signings for one departure. And there is a strong chance that the second driver leaving will be Mikkel Jensen, who has no shortage of suitors for his next destination after shining with Peugeot in the WEC and TDS Racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
Cassidy's first steps at Peugeot
The 2017 Super GT champion, 2019 Super Formula champion, and twice Formula E runner-up, Cassidy will benefit from a dual programme with Stellantis Motorsport, also joining the new Citroën project in Formula E alongside Jean-Eric Vergne.
"We are delighted to welcome Nick to the Peugeot programme," said Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport technical director. "His experience in various disciplines, his technical approach, and his speed make him a valuable asset for the team."
No time to waste: Cassidy will get his first taste of the 9X8 alongside Pourchaire next week at the Circuit of the Americas, during a test day scheduled right after the Lone Star Le Mans Austin WEC round, the penultimate round of the 2025 season.
