Peugeot Sport returned to the premier class of the World Endurance Championship in Monza with a Peugeot 9X8 that gave good symptoms, but also showed problems of youth. The team has worked hard to perform better at Fuji.
Peugeot’s hypercar project was made to beg. The radical Peugeot 9X8 was not ready for the start of the 2022 season, but it also failed to arrive in time to contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The brand preferred to optimize its development before homologation and defined its debut a month later on the occasion of the 6 Hours of Monza.
Premiere that left good feelings, although with nuances. Life was not the same on both sides of the Peugeot Sport box. The #93 suffered from youth problems for much of the weekend and that forced Jean-Eric Vergne, Paul Di Resta and Mikkel Jensen to retire in the race. #94 had a quieter event, with some interesting flashes and Loïc Duval, Gustavo Menezes and James Rossiter at their controls.
Jean-Eric Vergne: “The performance we had in Monza shows that this disruptive car is on the right track”
Gone is Monza. It’s Fuji’s turn and his imposing straight. A perfect setting to see the Peugeot 9X8 in action again and check its level of performance compared to the Toyotas, the structure that competes at home. Peugeot Sport has in its favor the large amount of data collected in Monza and some important weeks of work to keep improving in terms of reliability and performance.
Fuji draws very defined challenges. In addition to its straight and the aerodynamic commitment that must be found to be effective in all parts of the track, there is the weather. The weather is really unpredictable in Fuji, so the 9X8 could live its first race in the wet. Several of the team’s drivers have competitive experience in Japan and Fuji, something that the French firm will try to take advantage of.
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take a new step
As we have commented, the Peugeot #93 had a complicated debut in Monza, something that values Jean-Eric Vergneone of its three pilots: «Monza could have been better for us. Despite everything, it was something to be expected at such an early stage of the project. Our car had some problems in the race that forced us to retire. However, I think we were not far behind the Toyotas in terms of pure performance when we were able to run normally.”
“The performance we had in Monza shows that this disruptive car is on the right track. I am completely convinced of it. Our first race has been an important milestone in this exciting journey and now, for Fuji, the lenses change again. We want to finish the race and we are going to work to do it at a good level» concluded the Frenchman.
at the opponent’s house
For its part, Peugeot #94 was able to finish the 6 Hours of Monzawhich allowed the team to collect important data, in addition to boosting team morale, as recognized by its pilot Gustavo Menezes: «In Italy we have gained confidence because the car has shown that it has potential. Of course, there is still much to improve, but all we are fully motivated for the challenge that lies ahead.”
The American pilot also adds that “as a pilot, in Monza I was able to learn a lot, especially when it comes to managing traffic and knowing the behavior of 9X8. At Fuji the strategy will be to focus on our own car, our own team and our own work. We will see where we end up in a test that takes place at Toyota’s home. We have a nice challenge ahead».
Photos: peugeot sport