A result “not entirely satisfactory” for Peugeot at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The two Peugeot 9X8s saw out the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But they finished outside the points zone.
So close, yet so far in the end. The Peugeot cars finished this 92nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 11th and 12th places. Outside of the points zone. A result that is not good news for the French brand. However, by analyzing the performances of the 9X8, we notice that they only finished two laps behind the Ferrari #50. Which is not so bad.
If the result is not completely satisfactory, it is honorable and rewards the enormous work done by all the Peugeot Sport teams. A perfect result was achieved in terms of reliability, which is the primary requirement in motor racing and for Peugeot customers. Our cars ran for 24 hours in an extremely harsh environment. This reflects the enormous work and rigor in execution, analyses Jean-Marc Finot, director of Stellantis Motorsport.
However, as comfortable as they were in the rainy conditions last year, the 2024 Peugeot versions failed to stand out. The new Lion’s specificities do not allow them to go as fast as with the old one. The race was also neutralized for over three hours due to weather conditions.
We were expecting a complicated race considering the weather conditions, and we were not disappointed. There was a long interruption during the night. Our choice of rain tires at the start of the race was not the best, looking back we should have stayed on slicks, but we chose safety. We were distanced and lost the lead lap. We managed to get back to one lap down, but the front cars were driving faster than us. I appreciate the reliability of the cars. Now we need to find speed to compete with the best, adds Olivier Jansonnie, technical director of Peugeot Sport.
At Peugeot, there is therefore a mixed feeling about the result of the greatest endurance race in the world. On the one hand, we are satisfied with the reliability of the two Hypercars. But on the other hand, we are aware that the 9X8s lack pace compared to the rest of the field.
To progress, drivers, engineers, and all personnel will have to work on analyzing data to find the optimal settings for the rest of the championship. But time is running out. The next race is in less than a month. The whole WEC is meeting in Brazil on July 14th.
