Peugeot must act on 2027 driver lineup changes
As the WEC paddock arrives at Interlagos, Peugeot faces a real puzzle over who will drive for them next season.
Interlagos for the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo. The French manufacturer has a solid six-driver squad for 2026, but big questions are already forming about who will be behind the wheel of the 9X8 next season.
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Who is leaving?
Right now, Peugeot’s 2026 roster looks settled on paper. The #93 car is driven by Nick Cassidy, Paul di Resta and Stoffel Vandoorne, while the #94 features Loïc Duval, Malthe Jakobsen and Théo Pourchaire. That is a decent mix of experience and youth. But 2027 is a very different story.
Vandoorne’s future is particularly uncertain. His return to Peugeot for 2026 was itself a late twist. Stoffel Vandoorne’s deal to leave Peugeot and join Hyundai’s Genesis Magma Racing World Endurance Championship project for 2026 fell through in a disagreement over Formula E. He stayed, but there is no guarantee he will be around for 2027 either.
Jakobsen is another name to watch. Malthe Jakobsen appears to be one of the most in-demand drivers from other manufacturers, and is thought to be a potential target for McLaren when it joins the WEC’s top class in 2027. That is a real threat to Peugeot’s plans.
The Formula E problem making everything harder
One of the biggest headaches for Peugeot is scheduling. The recently revealed 2026-27 FIA Formula E calendar features two events that coincide with the 2027 WEC schedule. The all-electric series’ visit to Monaco on May 15-16 overlaps with the 6 Hours of Spa, while its Shanghai fixture on July 10-11 falls on the same weekend as the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo.
At least five current WEC Hypercar drivers are likely to be impacted by the clashes. For Peugeot, that is a massive issue. Several of their drivers juggle commitments in Formula E alongside their WEC programme, and that double act becomes impossible when the calendars clash.
We have already seen this problem at this very race in 2026. Peugeot employed two-driver lineups in Sao Paulo this season in the absence of both Vandoorne and Vergne, although reserve driver Theo Pourchaire was on-site to provide cover. That kind of compromise is manageable once. As a regular occurrence in 2027, it becomes a serious strategic problem for the Peugeot 2027 driver lineup changes discussion.
Why McLaren is the big threat to Peugeot’s roster
McLaren‘s arrival in the WEC Hypercar class in 2027 is reshaping the entire driver market. The British outfit, run by United Autosports, is already linked to multiple Peugeot names. Peugeot already saw Mikkel Jensen depart for McLaren’s future Hypercar effort for 2026, and the appetite from the Woking brand for Peugeot talent has not stopped there.
Jakobsen is likely to be one of the most in-demand drivers, thought to be a potential target for McLaren’s Hypercar effort when it debuts in 2027. Paul di Resta, meanwhile, has a long-standing relationship with United Autosports, the team that will run McLaren’s top-class prototype program. That means Peugeot could potentially lose both of those names in the same off-season.
It is a difficult position to be in. Peugeot have invested time in developing their drivers, and now rival manufacturers are ready to poach the best ones. You can read more about how McLaren is building its program in our piece on McLaren’s driver strategy for 2027.
What Peugeot needs to sort before 2027
The good news is that Peugeot is committed to the long term. Peugeot remains committed to the WEC through to the end of the homologation period at the climax of the 2029 season, with CEO Alain Favey stating: “Peugeot is 216 years old and is extremely resilient, and that is what we want to demonstrate.”
There is also the matter of a new car project. A possible all-new car that Peugeot could debut by as early as the 2027 season is in development, and that new project could help attract fresh talent to fill any gaps left by departures.
Jean-Eric Vergne is expected to return to a race seat in 2027 after his development role in 2026. Peugeot had revealed that Vergne would step into a reserve driver role in 2026 ahead of returning to its race roster in 2027. That gives Peugeot at least one confirmed returning name.
But the Peugeot 2027 driver lineup changes picture is still far from clear. With Formula E clashes, McLaren competition for drivers and Vandoorne’s uncertain future, the French team has plenty to resolve before Bahrain.
As the WEC paddock arrives at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo for the fly-away section of the 2026 season, all eyes will be on Peugeot both on and off the track. Keep up with all the action and standings via the official FIA WEC website, and follow all the latest WEC results and Hypercar standings right here on rnt-motorsports.com.
More WEC: the full 2026 calendar, every race result and all of our reporting from the World Endurance Championship are collected on our FIA WEC hub.
