19-year-old Danish driver Malthe Jakobsen has joined Peugeot Sport’s endurance racing programme as a junior driver, the French manufacturer has confirmed today.
This new role for Jakobsen means he will take part in simulator sessions and track testing with Team Peugeot TotalEnergies. He is no stranger to the 9X8, having already gained experience behind the wheel in the FIA WEC Bahrain Rooie Test last November (below).
Peugeot says Jakobsen’s performance with the French team at the 2023 Virtual Le Mans, (in addition to his standout LMP3 title-winning campaign in the ELMS last year with COOL Racing), “showed the depth of his talents”, prompting them to make him a part of the ongoing development of the 9X8 Hypercar.
In 2023 Jakobsen is competing with COOL Racing in the European Le Mans Series’ LMP2 Pro/Am class and at the Le Mans 24 Hours in LMP2. This new deal will not affect his current programme with the Swiss team.
“I’m super happy and proud to be able to be part of the Peugeot family who gave me the first opportunity to drive a Hypercar last year in Bahrain. Peugeot is a main actor of the automotive industry with heritage and a beautiful history in competition.
“I hope that we will be able to build something really strong together and have a good relationship in the future. Hopefully we will reach some of our goals together within the sport.”
Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson says it has ambitious plans for him going forward.
“When Jean-Marc Finot and Olivier Jansonnie told me about (the opportunity to invite) Malthe for the Rookie Test I immediately said ‘yes’ and I’m glad to have him now in our junior programme.
“Peugeot is forward-looking and the detection of young drivers and rising stars has always been a priority for us for many years. Malthe Jakobsen proved to be a quick young driver with all the required skills and qualities, and we have ambitious plans for him for the future.”
Featured image courtesy of Peugeot Sport
