Peugeot triumphs at Silverstone

Peugeot , after his terrible disillusionment with 24 Hours of Le Mans, had no longer ridden in competition through official involvement. In Portimao and Budapest (LMS), the 908 Oreca was commissioned to take over and ensure the presence of the Lion car on the track, while allowing Stéphane Sarrazin to win the “drivers” title in the Le Mans Series. . A title assured this Sunday by second place in Cévenol, associated with Nicolas lapierre on the 908 in Mondrian colors.

In the front row, the official Peugeot 908 HDi FAP won a victory which adds to its fine record, after its successes at Le Mans, Sebring, Spa, Petit Le Mans? Above all, the 1000 km of Silverstone, which marked the start of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, allowed Peugeot to take the lead in the ranking of this emerging competition. As the 908 reaches the end of its career, before the arrival of the "90X", Peugeot can only congratulate itself on the double achieved on Sunday.

« We absolutely had to win here to breathe new life into the team but also to open the score in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup which we want to add to our record, rejoices Olivier Quesnel, director of Peugeot Sport. The team did a fantastic job as did the drivers. I had instructed Anthony Davidson to go second from the start. He did it and what followed was beyond my expectations with his incredible duel linked by the good relays of Nicolas Minassian. It is therefore a great satisfaction complemented by that of the title of Peugeot and Stéphane Sarrazin in the Le Mans Series thanks to the 908 HDi FAP entered by Team Oreca, “Teams” champion. ».

Starting in third position, Anthony Davidson quickly moved up to second, before threatening Allan McNish (No. 15 Audi R7 TDI), pole sitter and leader. After twenty minutes of an intense duel, the 908 took control of a race which it led to the end, the No. 7 Audi having retired after a gearbox problem. “ I had a lot of fun at the start of the race. On the one hand because it was the first time that I took a start with the Peugeot, then because the duel was vibrant. Too bad McNish let me down! This is a championship that is off to a good start for Peugeot “, welcomes Davidson.

Nicolas Minassian, second driver of the Peugeot n°1, recognizes that the Briton did most of the work, emphasizing his joy at winning in his last appearance at the wheel of the 908. “ I was very confident arriving at Silverstone and very excited about driving the 908 HDi FAP again. Anthony did a great job at the start of the race and I just had to manage the lead! Winning is a magnificent reward because it was my last race with this car which is fantastic and it?s my second success here with it! »

Find the full report of the Silverstone 1000 km in AUTOhebdo, on sale from Wednesday.