Stoffel Vandoorne and Mick Schumacher are predicting a thrilling third instalment of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign in Belgium this weekend (8-10 May), after both Peugeot and Alpine starred in free practice yesterday.
In FP1, the #36 Alpine Endurance Team A424 and both Team Peugeot TotalEnergies 9X8 Hypercars placed inside the top five on the timing screens around the recently-resurfaced Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
While it was a tougher day for the #35 Alpine – with off-track moments in both sessions – Mick Schumacher is optimistic of another strong showing for Les Bleus, off the back of a podium finish last time out at Imola.
“We were one of the teams that didn’t test at Spa pre-weekend, so we came here on the back foot a bit but in FP1 it didn’t seem to impact us as much as we had feared and the base package is really good,” the German reflected. “The resurfacing work at other tracks has helped the tyres to last longer while simultaneously increasing grip, so it seems like a positive change that makes the racing more fun. I’m looking forward to the race.”
In the Peugeot camp, Vandoorne is one of four Belgians in the field for the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, and having so far failed to trouble the scorers this season, the Kortrijk native is hopeful of getting his challenge off the mark on home soil.
“It’s very cool to race at home,” acknowledged Vandoorne, who missed the event last year due to a clashing commitment. “I haven’t had a home race in a little while, so it’s nice to be back and racing in this competitive field.
“Obviously we’re hoping for a strong weekend on this beautiful track. I think it’s one of the most amazing circuits – a real drivers’ track that punishes you whenever you make a mistake. I think we all enjoy it round here
“It was a decent start on Friday. It’s still early days, but it was quite positive. The resurfacing has maybe helped us a little bit with how the tyres are working and how our car is behaving, and just generally the field looks a bit closer together.”
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