Vandoorne replaces Button at Le Mans

Jenson Button has revealed he will not race the 24 hour Le Mans and will now be replaced by former Formula 1 driver, Stoffel Vandoorne, citing his family reasons for his withdrawal.

Button was confirmed as a driver for SMP Racing in April 2018 and raced in the 2018/19 FIA World Endurance Championship. He raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year alongside Mikhail Aleshin and Vitaly Petrov but was forced to retire due to an engine failure.

Belgian Vandoorne will now replace the former F1 World Champion at the event on June 15 and in an SMP statement, the Brit explained his decision.

“I really enjoyed driving for SMP Racing and was happy to be on the podium with this team, but I decided that now I need to spend more time at home with my fiancé during her pregnancy rather than two weeks at Le Mans,” said Button.

“The decision has been made easier for me as I feel that the Toyota is currently unbeatable.”

Vandoorne is also set to race at the Six Hours of Spa after Brendan Hartley was unavailable and will partner Button’s regular drivers Petrov and Aleshin.