At Peugeot Sport, the countdown is already underway for the 24h of Le Mans, the biggest race of the 2024 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship and obviously the most awaited by everyone, especially if we are talking about a home team.
The Leone team introduced the 9X8 with the 2024 updates at Imola and with the Spa-Francorchamps race they had the opportunity to collect further data to understand various aspects.
It is undeniable that on the Circuit de la Sarthe we will see very different things from the races staged on the banks of the Santerno and in the Ardennes, and if we add that the transalpine Hypercar has had a nice change in the Balance of Performance, the scenarios could take on different implications new and very interesting.
Having said that, the whole team prefers to keep their feet on the ground and take one step at a time starting from Sunday’s test day, as underlined by Peugeot Sport’s Technical Director, Olivier Jansonnie.
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8
Photo credit: Rainier Ehrhardt
“It is a great satisfaction to have managed to debut this car in Imola. Developing a Hypercar prototype that is 90% new in terms of bodywork, aerodynamics and propulsion, in just ten months, with all the production delays due to parts and equipment, is a real achievement that all team members contributed to,” explains Jansonnie.
“The behavior in the race and the increase in performance are in line with our expectations and with what we saw during the winter tests, but we still have to improve, that’s for sure. With around twenty Hypercars on the track, we can see that the situation is very tight in the middle of the group and there the smallest detail makes the difference”.
“At Imola and Spa we finished ahead of faster cars thanks to an excellent strategy and the work of the whole team. We optimized our result in relation to the car’s performance, even if it wasn’t necessarily what we hoped for.”
“Historically, Le Mans is a special race: there is the car, with speed and reliability, but it also counts the preparation of the team, the race strategy and so on. Our preparations started in July 2023 after an in-depth analysis of the last year, trying to understand what went well and what needed to be improved. Last year we rediscovered Le Mans and this year we will clearly be better prepared.”
“We refuse to talk about objectives as results. Our only objective is to run as smooth a race as possible and to be as reliable as possible. From the day of testing, we will have a rough idea of our performance level and we will adapt the our approach to the match accordingly.”
Rear wing #93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8
Photo credit: Rainier Ehrhardt
Jean-Marc Finot, Vice President of Stellantis Motorsport, adds: “Le Mans is in the DNA of the Peugeot brand, with memories and emotions that have been passed down for generations. The passion we experienced at Sarthe in 2023 demonstrated how attached the public was to we”.
“We return in 2024 with a strong determination. The team has worked tirelessly for over a year to be on the starting grid on June 15. This edition will be historic for the quality of the grid, unique in the history of motor racing, and we are particularly proud of be part of it! The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a unique human adventure.”
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8
Photo credit: Rainier Ehrhardt
As for the drivers, the desire to obtain a good result is very high in both crews and the concentration is also at the highest levels with the awareness that there is probably the possibility of competing with the best this time, but not without difficulty given the ‘high number of rivals in the Premier Class.
“I think Hypercars were designed for Le Mans, which is where they can really express themselves at full speed in Sector 2. As 2024 evolves, I think we will be able to compete with the best and this is our objective, in any case”, admits Paul di Resta.
“For me, the key will be to have a clean race: stay within the leader’s lap, stay in the fight and show our determination until the finish line. I can’t wait to be there, to relive the special moments of last year, the rushes of adrenaline from the team, all the emotion of the race finale and the feeling of having achieved a performance above our expectations”.
“It will be very difficult, we know it, but we will do our best. Winning Le Mans is something indescribable, and to do it with a French manufacturer must be fantastic.”
His teammate in the #94, Loïc Duval, adds: “My best memory of 2023 is the emotion in everyone’s eyes at the end of the race. And also the fact that at 3 in the morning, halfway through the race, we were still among the first three. It was a great result for the whole team. Unfortunately we went off track and had some technical problems.”
“This race is special because Le Mans takes place once a year. It’s like a final, a World Cup final for example, a final for which everyone prepares all year. It’s also the format: 24 hours It’s something different, difficult for men and for cars. It’s a great challenge, it’s the most beautiful race in the world, rich in history… There are those who have raced in it and those who would like to race in it.”
“This year we arrive with a new car, which is not 100% new, but there are many differences with the previous version. It will not be easy because we still have a lot to learn compared to our rivals who have been racing with the same car for one or two seasons. We are still in a learning phase, but also quite satisfied with the tests and the first two races. We know we have improved the performance and we have also worked a lot on reliability.
Stoffel Vandoorne is also of the same opinion: “Last year I was a reserve driver at Le Mans. It was very interesting, but this year will be very different because I will be behind the wheel of the 9X8 2024! Before I started competing in endurance racing , I wasn’t aware of the importance of this race. Last year I saw what the 24 Hours of Le Mans was and I really liked it. It’s a long week, it’s stressful, you don’t sleep much.”
“From Imola we have a new car and, unfortunately, I missed Spa due to a clash of dates with Formula E. There is still a lot to learn with this car, but we are lucky to have done two events before arriving at Le Mans. I’m ready, I already have some races behind me and I’ve done a lot of testing.”
“We have to be in the game and able to fight with the best, as we did in Qatar. With so many Hypercars on the track, it will be a 24-hour Sprint race, with everyone pushing hard until the end. But we will be there” .
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8 Logo
Photo credit: Rainier Ehrhardt
On the other side of the garage, the #93 trio are equally determined as Mikkel Jensen explains: “Last year was very special for me, because it was the first time I competed in the Hypercar class with Peugeot, a French brand, with all the support from the local public during the week. And then I also had the encouragement of all the Danish fans who come to Le Mans in droves.”
“This will be the 2024 9X8’s debut at Le Mans. We have more ambitions than in 2023, although the competition will be even fiercer. A podium this year will be more difficult to achieve than in 2023. We are concentrating on our work to try to optimize everything.”
“The team has done a great job in the last few races, with no errors in the pits and with very high level strategies. So we will focus on the race and before then we will have to find the right set-ups on test day to be on the right track. It’s impossible to predict the final result, but we’ll do our best, we’ll have fun and we’ll see what happens.”
His colleague Nico Müller says: “I remember leading the race around midnight in difficult conditions. It was nice to lead the Centenary edition and we would have liked it to last a little longer, but to have managed to cross the finish line with both the cars is already a great satisfaction.”
“It is the most beautiful race in the world, rich in history for the brand. It is a unique circuit that can only be ridden once a year. Being at the start of this race is already special, winning it is an honor! We have worked hard to improve the package and the 2024 9X8 certainly has greater potential. It is more comfortable to drive and this should help us at Le Mans.”
“We prepared and the tests went well. The team worked very hard, we dedicated a lot of time. The competition will be very tough, we know it, but we want to fight to be at the front”.
Jean-Eric Vergne comments: “Le Mans is first and foremost an extraordinary circuit. It is not often that you drive on a track that is 13 or 14 km long and so demanding. This circuit is part of the history of this unique race. As a driver, you have to be in good shape, of course, but it’s more a question of preparation of the whole team, the mechanics and the cars.”
“We are ambitious, even if the last two races did not go well. Not having mechanical problems in the race will be decisive and I hope that we will also have a good performance to fight for the victory. I have this ambition and I believe that the team has it too “.
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