Peugeot has switched from specializing in the event of its up to date 9X8 2024 Le Mans Hypercar totally to enhancing efficiency after its dependable run on the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Olivier Jansonnie, technical director of the Peugeot Sport organisation that develops and runs the 9X8s, revealed that he’s anticipating an upturn within the efficiency of a automobile that didn’t make it into the highest 10 at double-points spherical of the World Endurance Championship in June consequently.
He defined that the clear end for the 2 9X8s, which ended up eleventh and twelfth at Le Mans, “strikes a bit the sort centre of gravity of what you might be doing”.
“Earlier than Le Mans, you’ve gotten that factor the place you could ship reliability,” he stated. “We actually focussed over the winter on reliability to remedy all the problems we had in earlier years.
“Evidently the reliability is nice; now we have to spend extra time testing on efficiency. Now the main target of testing will likely be totally different: it’s simpler to run after one factor slightly than operating after reliability and efficiency.
“We nonetheless have 4 races to attempt to present efficiency and we’re actually pushing to do that.”
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Mikkel Jensen, Nico Muller
Photograph by: Marco Losi / KAPPAEMEDIA
Jansonnie conceded that Peugeot continues to be studying about its new Hypercar class contender, which has switched wheel and tyre configuration from equal dimension rims all spherical to narrower fronts and wider rears.
The change of idea that arrived on the Imola WEC spherical in April has resulted in closely revised aerodynamics, together with the addition of a standard rear wing.
“There may be undoubtedly nonetheless loads to be taught on this automobile,” he defined. “We began operating the automobile in December and it’s fairly totally different to the earlier automobile.
“At Le Mans, the areas we had been weak had been the areas the place on the opposite one [the first-generation 9X8] we had been fairly robust, and vice versa — that exhibits that it is rather totally different.”
Jansonnie defined that Peugeot has recognized the areas wherein Peugeot wants to enhance the newest model of the 9X8.
“Typically we are attempting to offer extra confidence to the drivers to ensure that them to push the automobile slightly bit extra,” he stated.
Peugeot will resume its take a look at programme with a run at Austin forward of spherical six of this 12 months’s WEC on 1 September.
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Mikkel Jensen, Nico Muller
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Photos
It’s going to participate in a two-day take a look at attended by a number of producers in addition to a one-day Michelin take a look at focussed on the brand new technology of tyre the French provider plans to introduce subsequent 12 months.
Jansonnie revealed that there can be additional testing after the Fuji spherical, which takes place two weeks after Austin on 15 September, and earlier than the collection finale in Bahrain in November.
Peugeot topped the occasions in an inclusive opening session of free observe for this weekend’s Sao Paolo 6 Hours WEC spherical.
The #93 entry was on the prime of the occasions with a time from Nico Muller when a session that began on a humid monitor was red-flagged midway by way of its 90-minute period.
The observe interval was not restarted and as a substitute 45 minutes have been added to FP2.
