Mikkel Jensen has been a busy man in recent months with drives in GT cars and LMP2 as he prepares for his new role as a factory driver with the Peugeot 9×8 Hypercar. before we get to a couple of pop questions about that programme though we hear from Mikkel about his efforts to come this weekend in one of the favourites in the LMP2 field at Daytona, the #52 PR1 Mathiesen Oreca he shares with Ben Keating, Nico Lapierre and Scott Huffaker:
How different is the on-track task this year without GTLM and with a much bigger GTD field?
“It has taken a bit of a re-adjustment. When we first arrived and for the first session, You see the red sticker and you judge the Corvette, and even the BMW as being a GTLM.
“But then you adapt to the fact that they are now GT3 cars and all of them are pretty much on the same pace. You know now pretty much what to expect.
“For us, in LMP2, the GTLMs were a nightmare.
“Maybe the DPIs had a bit more power to get through yet. But sometimes, especially here the BMW which had a lot of power. And we just couldn’t get by.
“This is what I like more about the GT3, the traffic is more predictable. You know exactly when you have the time and the chance to pass. They have less grip, less aero. So you can pass them everywhere. There’s not a corner where you can’t pass, which was sometimes the case with the GTLM. On the outside could be tricky.
“LMP2 is a deeper field than we have seen here for a while with some big name drivers and a nice mix of US and European teams. What are you expecting from the LMP2 race, it’s crazy, the level of this year, compared to last year.
“I would say you can be proud of winning LMP2 this year, much more so than last year.
“In 2021 it was more of a race for survival than it was an actual race. But I’m sure this year, you’re going to have a lot of cars fighting at the end of the race. So we really have to survive and be up there for the end. So no mistakes. It’s a lot of good guys.
“Every car has at least two or three good drivers. And that’s what you need here to be fast at the end.
“So I think overall, we do have the best lineup. If you look at every position. Our Bronze is the best, our Silver is the best for sure.
“Then there’s good gold and platinum drivers. But in the end, I think the bronze and the silver will be the difference. So I hope it stays all green because then we have an advantage on the others.
“But, with the yellows definitely coming then I don’t really see us as clear favourites because we have good teams coming from Europe, G Drive, TDS. I’ve driven with TDS as a G-Drive entry so I know that them both. And it’s a very good team and I really respect them – and they have good line-ups as well.”
Can I ask how the new Peugeot compares to an LMP2?
“I haven’t driven the new car. The car has just been out this week. But as I was having to travel to Daytona it was decided that I should concentrate on this, not put too much stress on the schedule.
“We have six drivers plus James Rossiter, the test driver. So we have enough drivers, there’s no need to rush. But I will get my chance in February.”
Tell us a little bit about the programme so far. It’s really exciting. Everybody’s excited to see the car for the first time in the carbon. Tell us about the spirit within the team, and the drive forward with the programme.
“The spirit is great. They’ve been working really hard. These guys, I would say, many weeks, for more than 50-60 hours.
“And every time you come to the factory, you just feel the spirit. I’ve seen programmes before that, when it gets too stressful, too much work, then the people lose the spirit, but you feel the drive here.
“It’s a lot of people that have been in the 908 project. It’s people coming from inside the PSA Group where there have been other really impressive projects.
“The engineering group is very good. It’s just great. It’s a great feeling to be a part of such an impressive effort. And I think Olivier Jansommie is doing a great job with the whole project.”
There is huge interest in this car, bringing people’s interest into this brand new and really exciting emerging class of racing?
“You know, the last half-year every comment from everyone, from the guys at PR1, other people in the paddock, fans, pretty much everyone is “Don’t you actually have a rear wing?”
“Peugeot has been doing a big story out of it and have been doing a great job keeping up the interest and the expectation for the car and the whole programme.
“And coming out from all of that fun is now the reality that, we really don’t have a rear wing on the car. And now it’s official! After so many people saying “The car will have a rear wing for sure!”
“The reality is that there was never an active plan to run with a rear wing. The numbers from simulation and from the wind tunnel look like they are being matched on track. I’m sure we have enough rear downforce in pretty much the form the car is testing.”
