Peugeot will make a decision in the next two weeks: Will the new 9X8 hypercar compete in the 2022 24h of Le Mans or not?
The 24h of Le Mans 2022 on 11 and 12 June is drawing ever closer. This means that Peugeot does not have much time left to make a decision on whether or not the Frenchman’s new 9X8 hypercar will be on the grid at the endurance classic at the Sarthe. The brand wants to clear the air in the next two weeks.
Jean-Marc Finot, head of motorsport at the Stellantis Group, of which Peugeot is a member, says a decision would be made before the entry list for the premier round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) is published. “The entry list for Le Mans will be announced at the end of February or beginning of March, so we have to make our decision before then,” Finot explained.
There is no direction in which Peugeot will tend. Therefore, it is not foreseeable whether Peugeot will start at the 24h of Le Mans. The French will certainly miss the WEC season opener at Sebring in the US on 18 March 2022. “It’s a difficult decision because we would like to race as soon as possible,” said Finot.
Technology will be frozen
However, Peugeot has to be careful with the homologation of the hypercar as the car will be frozen for five years afterwards. Radical changes to the design and concept are then no longer possible. A mistake in the development would therefore manoeuvre the brand five years out of the running if the car is homologated too early.
The Le Mans and WEC promoter Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) expects 62 cars on the grid for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The entry list is due to be published on 28 February or 1 March 2022. Peugeot will probably have to take part in the second round at Spa-Francorchamps if the brand wants to compete at Le Mans. However, the team has planned to race in Belgium anyway, should the car be homologated.
Peugeot WEC technical director Olivier Jansonnie says: “This is what we have always said: if we want to race at Le Mans, we have to race at Spa. We understand the sense behind it, because a balance of performance has to be developed for Le Mans” Most recently, Peugeot tested the hypercar at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet. Another test is to take place before a decision is made on whether the French will compete at Le Mans.
Overall, Peugeot seems satisfied with the development of the 9X8. The data from Aragon and Le Castellet gives the team a positive outlook for the future. “The simulations we have done and what we have seen so far [on track] give us confidence, while maintaining a certain level of humility,” says Jansonnie.
He adds, “The most important thing is reliability: this is just about weighing up the problems and opportunities and seeing if we can solve them for Le Mans.” The new car has yet to undergo a real endurance simulation, but night runs have been completed. Peugeot has been very careful with any small problem and has brought the car into the pits immediately.
