The anticipation at Peugeot Sport for the 6h of Imola grows more and more with each passing day, when we are now within reach of what represents the second seasonal event of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Since last March 25th we have finally discovered what the 9X8 is like in the updated 2024 version with wheels of different sizes compared to the previous one, revisited aerodynamics and above all equipped with the infamous rear wing.
The men from Leo have covered over 8,000 km of track tests since last December, also completing an endurance test at Motorland Aragon and various bench operations to make each component reliable, hoping to be able to make the much-needed steps forward and compete for success against Hypercar Class rivals in every race on the calendar.
Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8
Photo by: Peugeot Sport
“Above all, I am very proud of the fact that we have been able to work successfully on two fronts for more than a year. Our design and management teams have done an extraordinary job to meet our sports program with the 2023 version, while developing the 9X8 2024″, underlines the Technical Director, Olivier Jansonnie.
“This is particularly highlighted when you consider that the specifications were changed over the course of the year to incorporate everything we had learned in terms of reliability and aerodynamics, as well as the knowledge gained on the new tires we tested from mid-2023 on a test car built specifically for development.”
“I think the car is ready for Imola, a track that hasn't been used before in the FIA WEC and which we don't know very well. We haven't done any testing on this track, but that also applies to Qatar, where we were fast , so I'm not too worried. We worked on the simulator, we were able to see that Imola is a high downforce track.”
“Unlike the 2023 9X8, where we had time to improve the set-up and get the most out of the car, we still have a lot to learn about the 2024 9X8. We know that it is inherently faster, although it is still difficult to get an idea He specifies that we have made up ground on our rivals, but we still don't know how much after the first races.”
Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8
Photo by: Peugeot Sport
Even on the drivers front there is curiosity to find out how the new Peugeot will go, as Mikkel Jensen explains.
“We will be racing with an essentially new car, its development has been really exciting over the last few months, but we don't really know where we are because there are still a lot of things to learn about it in the race,” says the Dane, who shares the car #93 with Jean-Eric Vergne and Nico Muller.
“I raced at Imola in Formula 3 at the beginning of my career and then with the ELMS in 2021. It's a fantastic track, a bit old school. With the great line-up we have in the Hypercar Class it will be a real challenge.”
Paul Di Resta also agrees, who we will see at work on the #94 together with Loic Duval and Stoffel Vandoorne.
“I had my first experience on this circuit recently: it is narrow, quite bumpy and with large outside curbs, very different from Qatar. With all the Hypercars and GT3s, there will be a lot to do on the track. The tires will also be a important factor, especially if the weather were to change”, admits the Scotsman.
“In terms of preparation, it is never easy to get to the second round of a championship with a new car. We will get to know and progress with this 2024 9X8 gradually, keeping our eyes on Le Mans, which is our main objective” .
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