The Peugeot 9X8 “Evolution” on familiar ground at Imola

It was almost a year ago to the day. At the 6 2024 Hours of Imola, Peugeot presented itself in Italy with a new version of its 9X8. The first iteration, now famous for its lack of a spoiler and its tires mounted "square", had fizzled out, despite a last notable outing in Qatar (where it was close to reaching the podium before running out of fuel at the start of the last lap). It then gave way to its "Evolution" variant, equipped with a rear spoiler and above all tires of different widths, as was already the case for the other prototypes entered in the Hypercar category.

What is the assessment of this Peugeot 9X8 "Evolution" a year later? The initial results were not encouraging, before a marked improvement at the end of the season, marked by a 4th place at the 6 Hours of Fuji, then a 3rd place at the 6 Hours of Bahrain — each time with the No. 93 driven by Mikkel Jensen, Nico Müller and Jean-Éric Vergne. The start of the new season was, however, more complicated, with a 9th place as the best result in the 1812 km of Qatar.

« At the 1812 km of Qatar, we were in the rhythm of some of our competitors and finished at the head of the second peloton, underlines Jean-Marc Finot, Senior VP of Stellantis Motorsport. Our task now is to join the front of the pack. Strategically and operationally, the team has managed its races very well since the end of the 2024 season. If we continue like this, we will be able to fight for good places. »

In Emilia-Romagna, the 9 version of the 8X2024 is preparing to experience a first in its young history: returning to a circuit it already knows.

« Last year, we didn't know about this new Peugeot 9X8 in racing, nor about this circuit which was included in the FIA ​​calendar for the first time. WEC, explains Olivier Jansonnie, technical director of Peugeot Sport. In fact, we spent the entire 2024 season discovering the circuits with this car and these tires. This will be the first time we're back in the same conditions as last year, so it will be an excellent benchmark to measure our progress. »

Peugeot tested at Losail after the first round of the season, then at Imola in March. Terrible weather conditions disrupted this development session, which ultimately concluded at the Barcelona circuit. Further testing was then conducted at Le Castellet and Spa-Francorchamps, where the WEC will stop on May 10.

Free Practice and Qualifying for the 6 2025 Hours of Imola will be held on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 April. The start of the second round of the World ChampionshipEndurance FIA WEC 2025 will be held on Sunday, April 20 at 13:00 p.m. (French time).

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