The new Peugeot Hypercar makes its debut in Imola
Peugeot debuted its new version of the 9×8 Hypercar with which it will race in the 2024 WEC season in Imola. It is a car profoundly modified compared to the previous model not only for the visible adoption of the rear wing, the absence of which characterized the previous model compared to the competition, but also for the choice of tires of different sizes between the two axles. Here too, a modification that realigns the Peugeot 9×8 to the standard of technical choices of the Hypercar class.
All these changes have forced the designers of the Lion house to review the suspension, car floor and general aerodynamics so much so that in fact it is an almost completely new car and not a simple evolution. At Peugeot they preferred wait for the second race of the season for this debut, as the first race on the Lusail circuit in Qatar featured corners with characteristics that better suited the previous car concept. This was demonstrated by the competitiveness of the French car on that occasion, which only lost out on a well-deserved second place finish due to an unfortunate technical problem on the penultimate lap.
A much more consistent car for the drivers
There was therefore a lot of curiosity to check the performance of the new 9×8 on an extremely demanding track like that of Imola. Jean Eric Vergneofficial driver of the Peugeot team also known to Formula 1 fans for his militancy in Toro Rosso and subsequently a protagonist of Formula E for many seasons, shared his impressions of driving the new 9X8 with the media in the Imola paddock during the weekend end of the six hours.
“The aerodynamic load that is felt when driving the car is the same compared to the previous version, technically it does not change much if this load comes from the wing or from the bottom of the car”, explains the Frenchman. “Obviously the tracks with a rough surface were particularly difficult for us because the surface tended to lose downforce in these passages. Now we have a more stable car, especially in view of the different circuits that we will have to face during the season. With this car it will be easier for us to make comparisons with our rivals. In any case the machine works well. Our goal is obviously to improve performance by having greater development potential.”
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