Vaxiviere Ruled Out for Spa; Hanley to Sub in TDS Oreca

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

Matthieu Vaxiviere has been ruled out of next weekend’s FIA World Endurance Championship round at Spa due to a training injury, with Ben Hanley set to sub for the Frenchman at TDS Racing.

The 22-year-old, who teamed with Emmanuel Collard and Francois Perrodo for a podium finish in their LMP2 debut in the season-opener at Silverstone, has sustained a fractured foot while training for the upcoming six-hour race.

Hanley, who claimed pole in the European Le Mans Series round at Silverstone, will take his place in the team’s Oreca 07 Gibson, marking the Englishman’s WEC debut.

“This is bad news for Matthieu at this time of the season. The whole team joins me in wishing him a speedy recovery,” team principal Xavier Combet said.

Vaxiviere was due to fill in for Nathanael Berthon in the Panis-Barthez Competition Ligier JS P217 Gibson in the next ELMS round at Monza, which also now appears to be in doubt.

It is the second training-related injury to hit a sports car racing driver in recent weeks, with a knee injury having forced Robin Frijins out of last weekend’s Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup race at Monza.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John