Italy is a special place for PEGUGEOT when it comes to Endurance racing. It was in Monza that Team Peugeot TotalEnergies began its journey in the FIA World Endurance Championship, back in summer of 2022. A year later, the PEUGEOT 9X8 secured its first WEC podium finish at the same track. And it is at the 6 Hours of Imola, where Peugeot Sport enjoyed a memorable one-two finish in 2011, that the PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 will make its competitive début.
“How do I feel? Above all, I’m very proud that we have managed to work successfully on two fronts for more than a year,” admitted Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport Technical Director. “Our design and operations teams have put in a phenomenal amount of work in order to stick to our sporting programme with the 2023 version whilst developing the 2024 PEUGEOT 9X8. This is especially true given that the specifications changed during the year to incorporate everything we had learned in terms of reliability and aerodynamics, and knowledge acquired about the new tyres that we tested from mid-2023 on a development mule.”
The PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 was unveiled on 25 March, following an endurance test session at the Motorland Aragon track in Spain. It has completed some 8,000 km of testing since its first track session in early December 2023. Additional endurance work on the test bench has also helped to increase the reliability of certain mechanical components, such as the powertrain.
“I think that the car is ready for Imola,” continued Olivier Jansonnie. “It’s a track that has not previously been used in the FIA WEC and one that we don’t know very well. We haven’t done any testing at the track, but that was also true in Qatar and we were fast there, soI’m not too worried about that. When we worked on the simulator, we could see that Imola is a high downforce track. ”
Team Peugeot TotalEnergies may well be venturing into the unknown in Emilia-Romagna, but the squad is keen to bounce back from a disappointing weekend in Qatar, where poor management of an unfortunate turn of events led to the no. 93 coming to a standstill on track. The PEUGEOT 9X8 nevertheless proved that it is a competitive car in coming so close to securing second place.
“Unlike the PEUGEOT 9X8 2023, 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 PEUGEOT 9X8 2024. We know the car is inherently quicker, even though it’s still difficult to get an accurate picture because we don’t know with what weight and power it will be competing. We’re sure that we have made up ground on our rivals, we just don’t know how much as yet. But we’ll be able to tell after the first few races. ”
The PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 is set to make its competitive début with its new “lion head” livery at the Italian round of the WEC. To mark the occasion, PEUGEOT designers have developed an identical livery for the PEUGEOT 508 PSE. From the outset of its WEC programme, PEUGEOT created a strong aesthetic link between the Hypercar and the brand’s production models. Some stylistic elements, such as the light signature, the badge placed on the front grille and the dominant paintwork colour (Selenium Grey in 2022 and Okenite White in 2024), reflect this clear link between the Hypercar and the PEUGEOT production models.
In order to maintain the close connection between the design of the 9X8 and the brand’s production cars, Peugeot Design teams opted to adapt this livery on a 508 PSE. The production car will be unveiled – sporting its new livery – in the FanZone at Imola, the first round of the championship to be held in Europe, on 19-21 April.
Mikkel Jensen, no. 93 PEUGEOT 9X8
“I drove at Imola in Formula 3 early on in my career and then in the ELMS in 2021. It’s a great track, a bit ‘old school’, with lots of straights and fairly big rumble strips. With the big field in the WEC, it’s going to be real challenge in the Hypercar class. We’re going to be racing in what is essentially a new car in Imola. Its development has been very exciting in the last few months, but we don’t really know where we are because there are still many things to learn about the PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 in a race situation. ”
Paul di Resta, no. 94 PEUGEOT 9X8
“I had my first experience of this track quite recently. Imola is a narrow circuit, quite bumpy with big rumble strips. It’s very different to Qatar. With all the Hypercars and the GT3s, it’s going to be very busy on track. Tyres will also be a big factor, especially if the weather turns. In terms of preparation, it’s never easy to come into the second round of a championship with a new car. We’ll learn about and make progress with this PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 gradually, keeping our sights set on Le Mans, which is our main objective. ”