We all remember it, don’t we?
Nightfall over La Sarthe during the centenary running of the Le Mans 24 Hours last year, and in tricky conditions, the #94 Peugeot 9X8 held the lead. After months and months of waiting, debating and speculating, the evidence was there for all to see, the 9X8 was fast on the circuit it was designed to win on.
But aside from that flash of speed (which ended in the barriers in the 12th hour), a podium finish in Monza a month later and a remarkable run to the front of the pack in Qatar (which also ended in heartbreaking fashion), Peugeot’s Hypercar programme has all too often flattered to deceive.
To finally reach the top of the podium in the WEC’s ultra-competitive Hypercar class and claim its fourth Le Mans overall win, Peugeot has re-loaded and developed the 9X8, debuting the upgrades at Imola in April. However, since the public reveal in the pit lane ahead of the track action in Emilia Romagna it’s been tough to assess just how effective the new-look 9X8 has been. As such, predicting how Le Mans is likely to pan out feels like an impossible task.
If you were to point fingers, you could legitimately make the case that the 9X8 was handed a tough set of values in the BoP tables for Imola and Spa, or that it’s too early to expect wins and podiums for the car, which the team is still getting its head around.
Either way, 10 points on the board is all it has to show for its efforts during two rather forgettable outings with the new car – one of which was severely impacted by a multi-car pile-up at the start of the race in Italy. The team was seemingly racing under the radar in both six-hour contests and continues to look like an outside bet for Le Mans.
Within the Peugeot camp though, expectations remain high for its home race this week.The drivers, despite failing to fight for podiums since Qatar, appear upbeat about the feeling the new car presents behind the wheel. It gives more consistent feedback and feels better in a straight line and through corners.
Olivier Jansonnie, technical director at Peugeot TotalEnergies also seems pleased with the end product, particularly after the promise it showed in testing.
It’s now up to the collective team to work together and find a way to compete at the top end in what is a truly spectacular WEC field, packed with factory and private teams taking steps forward all the time.
Jean-Marc Finot, senior VP of Stellantis Motorsport, feels the team is heading in the right direction and can see the progress on the timing screens.
“From what we see in Spa,” he told reporters, “we’re one second behind the pole position. So, last year, we were two seconds behind. There’s already a good gain. And despite the fact that our car is 23 kilos heavier and 8 kilowatts less than last year’s.”
How about Linda Jackson, the CEO of Peugeot? What’s her view on the current situation heading into Le Mans? She gives a somewhat contradictory assessment: “There is no pressure, but it’s time to win.”
“We are never satisfied,” she told the media in Spa. “To be honest, we’ve redeveloped the car. It’s clear that we have done this to win, so now we need to the performance. I am a businesswoman. I decided to put Peugeot in this championship for its notoriety. If we win, it is great for the image.
“The team, are at the top in terms of efficiency. It’s a real team now, with the drivers in our third season. For the fans, for us, for the return on investment, to be honest, we need to win something. It’s time to deliver. It’s a very important investment. And, we decided to focus on the WEC we are not present elsewhere. Now is the time.”
Currently, the 9X8 Hypercar programme is signed off through the end of the 2026 FIA WEC season. How likely is it that Peugeot will continue beyond that point? It feels strange to be thinking about this now, but time flies and none of the factory teams can afford to sit back and wait for results to come to them.
If the current ruleset is extended – as is widely expected to maintain current momentum for the WEC and entice manufacturers on the fence that there is still time to come and play – then the results during the coming months with the 2024 9X8 will surely be critical.
Of course, the wider objectives of Peugeot and Stellantis are a factor in its participation going forward, but its sporting success will influence the likelihood of an extension to the programme.
“Why are we here? We are here because we are passionate about the sport. But after all, we are sportsmen and women. So, indeed, we aim to win,” Jackson explained when asked if the future of the programme would be in question if the team didn’t start winning in the near future.
“Obviously, that’s not the question today. But we can’t continue in a sport like this for ten years without winning. It’s a significant investment. It’s the third season.
“Now, I think we’ve learned a lot. We have experience with technology. After three years, we need to have results. Because, honestly, we redeveloped the car this year. So, that’s the beginning, in my opinion. At the beginning of the third season, third, fourth season, etc., we need to have results.
“But to answer the question, if we continue like this, six years, seven years without winning, what’s the reason for doing that? We are here to win, right?”
Winning in the WEC, if and when it happens, is one thing. Winning Le Mans is another. For a brand like Peugeot success at the Le Mans 24 Hours this year, or in the near future, would mean a whole lot more. As a race, the value it brings in sporting and marketing terms for manufacturers remains huge.
“Le Mans is important,” Jackson continued. “We are a French brand. It’s iconic, right? It’s an incredible event. But also… Sao Paulo, for example, they’ve added that recently. That’s important for us because it’s an important market. But honestly, Le Mans… 80% of our sales are in Europe for Peugeot.
“So, obviously, Le Mans is very important, because there are a lot of Belgians, but also Germans and French who watch.
“Yes, it’s a matter of pride. But Le Mans, it’s the event of the year.
“I’m a businesswoman,” she continued, “so indeed, the result is not just the sporting result, it’s the return on investment. So that’s very important for us, and yes, that’s a success. We have looked at it, so it’s a bit more qualitative.
“Every month, we have a sales curve of the brand that repeats itself, and we compare it to other brands in the group, and we saw that at the time of last year (at Le Mans), there’s a very big emotional factor. The curve took off slightly from the first practice session on Wednesday evening. And it went up all weekend.
“That’s why Le Mans is a good time for us. And at the end of June, it came back to the normal curve. You really have a visible impact.”
This year’s Le Mans is truly a tantalising prospect, not just for fans eager to follow Peugeot’s progress. Once again it feels like we will see a battle between multiple factories.
Last year, Toyota was the clear favourite going in – and Ferrari pulled off an impressive and rather shocking victory in only its fourth race with the 499P. This year, with three different teams emerging victorious in three races to start the 2024 WEC season, it feels like anybody’s game.
Yes, Balance of Performance arguments and politicking will be ongoing on and off the record in the paddock, and yes, every team will find a way to make the case that they’ve been dealt a bad hand. But when the 23 Hypercars go thundering down the Mulsanne for the first time on Saturday afternoon, none of that will matter. Everyone will be pushing, with nothing to hide.
For Peugeot, the hope is that for the first time since the final appearance in the event for the 908 back in 2011, it is still in the fight 24 hours later…
