Peugeot is set to reignite its ambitions in the World Endurance Championship with a new car, which will aim to finally mount a sustained challenge for the title through to 2029.
There has been talk for several months about the French manufacturer’s future plans. After introducing a major update to the 9X8 LMH in 2024, it has continued to struggle against its rivals in the Hypercar class, even casting doubt on whether it would continue in the series.
In reality, ever since Peugeot chose to return to Le Mans, no one has ever doubted that this was the ideal moment to play its cards right, and the company’s top brass have also confirmed that the aim is to win as soon as possible.
“The rule change will take place in 2030, but our priority was to have certainty for the next three years, and this has been granted to us. We want to stay until the end of 2029, and to be competitive we must work on developing the current car,” Peugeot CEO Alain Favey told Motorsport.com during a meeting with Italian journalists at Imola.
«The plan is this: it will involve a new homologation that will enable us to be more competitive. We’ll start with the current car we’re familiar with, so it won’t be completely new, but we’ve used up all the Joker Evo options available for the 9X8, so we’ll have to homologate a car from scratch.»
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Paul Di Resta, Stoffel Vandoorne, Nick Cassidy
Photo by: FIAWEC — DPPI
Peugeot will not be developing a new car from scratch, but will be reusing various parts that have worked well on the LMH model currently on the track. A testing programme will therefore be put in place over the coming months to ensure it is ready for 2027.
«We are working on it and I am very confident that we can achieve a good result. I don’t know when we’ll be out on track for testing, but clearly, to be ready in time for 2027, we’ll need to schedule test sessions over the coming months.”
That said, discussions will also continue in parallel with the FIA and ACO regarding the revision of the regulations, which should ensure a single platform, or at least a technical convergence between LMDh and LMH.
But Favey emphasised that having the guarantee of being able to race with this type of prototype for the next three years is exactly what was needed to renew the commitment and reignite its ambitions.
«The important thing for us was to have a three-year plan based on stable rules, before the regulations change, and I can say that it’s worth investing. We’ll assess what happens next from a strategic perspective.’
«Our focus will be on 2027–2028–2029; the future will also depend on the car’s performance during those years. Our ambition is to be consistently in the top four; should that not happen, we will see if and how to proceed.
«It is important for a brand to have a history, and Peugeot does not want to be the one constantly entering and leaving various championships. This is the centenary year of our first participation at Le Mans, an important milestone that also lends credibility to the brand.
«Right now we are writing a story, with both positive and negative chapters; we would like to achieve a happy ending, and this can be achieved with a good performance throughout the championship and at Le Mans, but we will assess the situation at the end of 2029.
«For Peugeot, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is undoubtedly more important than the world championship, in which we nevertheless compete with commitment. But in France, that race is a huge celebration and therefore takes on a special significance.»
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