Nico Müller and Audi Sport have reached an agreement to terminate their contract at the end of this season. Immediately afterwards, the Swiss driver has signed for Peugeot Sport to be part of the French brand’s line-up in the hypercar class of the WEC.
The new queen category of resistance, born from the convergence between WEC and IMSA and between the LMH and LMDh technical regulations, has great appeal for brands. You only have to see the number of manufacturers that are developing their prototypes for 2023 or 2024. A list that could even have been larger, since At first Audi also ‘signed up’ to the LMDh formula.
Nevertheless, Audi has focused all its efforts, unlike Porsche, on its arrival in Formula 1 from 2026. A movement that has led the brand to paralyze the LMDh project that it had underway and put up the ‘close-out liquidation’ sign to place all the assets linked to a program that will ultimately not be such. The clearest sign is in the departure from Audi of two of its great drivers.
“I am delighted with the prospect of competing in the WEC with the Peugeot team in 2023”
Spearhead of the LMDh project that will never see the light, René Rast announced that he will leave Audi at the end of the season to become an official driver for BMW in endurance and GT3, as well as for McLaren in Formula E. In a similar move, Nico Müller has reached an agreement with Audi to separate from the German firm immediately after eight seasons under its umbrella. The Swiss driver also has a new destination.
As well as competing in Formula E with the Abt team, Nico Müller has been announced as official driver of Peugeot’s LMH program once you have terminated your contract with Audi. The Swiss will thus join the squad of the French brand to get behind the controls of one of the two Peugeot 9X8 in the 2023 season. It is understood that Müller will take the place of James Rossiterregular driver due to the ‘domino effect’ of Kevin Magnussen leaving for Formula 1.
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immediate implication
“I am delighted with the prospect of competing in the WEC with the Peugeot team in 2023. I want to be part of this adventure at a time when a new chapter in endurance history is opening with a manufacturer with such an illustrious record at Le Mans. It’s a great opportunity for me» has noted Nico Mueller.
The former Audi driver not only wears the colors of Peugeot Sport from the first minute, but also will start his role within the brand’s LMH project immediately. In fact, Muller will have the opportunity to drive the Peugeot 9X8 for the first time in a test session that the lion’s firm has scheduled for the coming weeks. It will also work on the brand simulator.
James Rossiter will return to his role
Except turn of events, Nico Müller will be integrated into the Peugeot #94 lineup in which this season Loïc Duval, Gustavo Menezes and James Rossiter compete, since Jean-Eric Vergne, Paul Di Resta and Mikkel Jensen will continue together in #93.
This means that James Rossiter will return to his role as test, reserve and simulator driver of the French brand while Nico Müller joins the #94 to compete with Duval and Menezes in the first full season of Peugeot’s LMH project, since the French firm will only compete this year in Monza, Fuji and Bahrain.
Photos: peugeot sport