Peugeot only thinks about Le Mans

Unveiled this Monday, the 2009 program of Team Peugeot Total will begin on March 18 in the United States, during the 12 Hours of Sebring, the opening round of the American Le Mans Series. The second longest event after Le Mans, it is particularly renowned for putting cars and men to the test, exactly what we are looking for. Peugeot Sport with a view to the next 24 Hours.

The Sochaux team is therefore concentrating all its efforts on the Le Mans event in June, and to prepare for it as best as possible it has already registered for Sebring, but also for the 1000 Km of Spa-Francorchamps, second. round of the Le Mans Series. These two events will serve as a full-scale test session, in order to refine the development of the car and evaluate it against the all-new Audi R15, which already promises to be the worthy descendant of its big sisters.

As for the American round in March, the running program is rather busy, since even before its start the Team Peugeot Total will carry out testing on Saturday 14, then will carry out additional testing sessions the day after the event , still on this same route.

“Many elements make Sebring an important stage and representative of the constraints of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is above all the longest event after that of Le Mans, therefore an excellent test to assess the reliability of the car and of our mechanics. This year we will gather a large amount of information due to the entry of two cars, compared to only one last season. In particular, we will be able to test the air conditioning and the new aerodynamics imposed by the 2009 regulations,” underlined Bruno Famin, technical director of Peugeot Sport.

In a new blue and chrome livery, the two 908s will be distinguished by the color of their spoiler and mirrors. Indeed, the No. 07 will have white mirrors and a spoiler with the Peugeot inscription written in black, while the No. 08 will have blue mirrors and a spoiler, with the Peugeot inscription written in white.

If Minassian, Lamy, Sarrazin and Bourdais know it well, notably for having won there in 2006 in a Panoz in GT2 with a certain David Brabham for the latter, Franck Montagny and Christian Klien will discover this Sebring track.

“Our objective is clear. », insisted Olivier Quesnel, director of Peugeot Sport. “We have to work towards the 24 Hours of Le Mans, there is no question of betting everything on a pole position, a best lap, or taking reckless risks in the race. We must advance technically, humanly, strategically but of course we will not shy away from victory if it comes to us! »