“When was the decision to upgrade to a 9×8 2.0 made?
In March 2023. The Sebring race was a trigger. We realized that we were further than we imagined in terms of performance. We had a certain number of discussions with the FIA and the ACO which convinced us to regain a certain autonomy over our performance, that we could not be 100% dependent on the BoP to bring us back to the level, which was nevertheless the deal at the start. Some of the gaps we saw on the track in 2023 were pretty clearly anticipated. We warned well in advance that there were differences in performance between the two tires (31×31 on the first version and 29×34 on the 2024 version). Everyone, including us, probably underestimated this variation. Now that we’ve tried both, we can see it pretty well. We realized that the BoP would not move quickly enough, which ultimately took a year. We therefore wanted to find a level of performance similar to our competitors on our own, without having to rely on the BoP.
What was the biggest challenge in developing this evolution: the new tire size or the rear wing?
The biggest challenge was to develop a new car in terms of aero while having a racing season in 2023, to be able to have part of the team, our resources and our efforts focused on the competition . We didn’t give up on anything, including all the way to Qatar, while developing this car at the same time. Many people were focused on both topics at once. The biggest challenge was ultimately human.
“We tried to maintain the style of the car which was successful and which is an element of our project”
Olivier Jansonnie, technical director of Peugeot Sport
What are the other developments beyond the rear wing and tire size?
We had to lighten the car, move as much weight to the rear as possible. This allowed us, in passing, to make certain components more reliable, particularly on the transmission side. We have new aerodynamics which must adapt to this change in mass distribution. This is all connected. The car looks a lot like the old one visually. However, if you do an overlay, you will see that 95% of the surfaces are different. We tried to maintain the style of the car which was successful and which is an element of our project. The lines of the hull are still there, we have preserved its structure.
What are your feelings after the first tests? Do you expect a real leap forward in performance?
It’s still too early to tell. Many elements come into play. On a lap, we know that there is a definite gap, the others in front are very fast. We compare ourselves a lot to other LMHs, especially Toyota. We should have made up part of this gap, but it remains to be seen how much closer we have come. Everything about the consistency of the stints, what we can do with the tires, will only be visible in the race, because it’s very difficult to highlight that in testing.
Looking back, do you think the wingless concept was too bold or did the rule changes disrupt the development of the car?
As a team we learned, gained experience, but objectively the rules were different. With square tires imposed and a hybrid deployment system at 120 km/h, the concept of the car was not stupid, even if we will never know what would have happened if we had made a car with 31 squared and a spoiler. At the end of 2022, we said the car would be inferior to the others in terms of performance, but “swingable” in a well-thought-out BoP. Qatar demonstrated this.
“We have demonstrated our resilience. The team is very motivated to do well”
Olivier Jansonnie, technical director of Peugeot Sport
Is there any regret or resentment about this?
We are not in this logic, we are trying to look forward. We want to take back our destiny. We want to find ourselves in a performance setting position that is more average than today where we are in a corner of the box with very low mass and very high power (like in Qatar). Very clearly, the BoP of 2023 was more than perfect. The BoP methodology for 2024 has progressed. Objectively, everyone learned from the past season, both the organizers and us.
Is it possible to challenge for victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a new car which enters competition in April?
It is difficult to answer the question, because we will have to see where the performance lies in the Imola race. We saw it in Qatar with the new entrants (Alpine, BMW, Lamborghini, Isotta Fraschni), none was able to claim an ultimate level of performance. Legislators applied the rule they defined. We cannot blame them, as this has been discussed between the manufacturers. This necessarily worries us a little, knowing that the fate that awaits us at Imola should be identical, because it is part of the BoP 2024 algorithm. We will not be able to answer this question before Imola, or even Spa.
Does this new car bring additional pressure? Could this be the end of the program if it fails?
This is not a discussion we had. We don’t need that to have pressure. We have demonstrated our resilience. The team is very motivated to do well. We are committed to making this car work and we think we will succeed. Experience will allow us to judge in the end. We will have a better view after several races. It’s more complex than the intrinsic performance of the car. We showed that we know how to manage races and get the most out of the car. »
