Peugeot explains itself after the Sebring rout

Debacle, rout, shipwreck: all the adjectives seem weak to describe the 1000 Miles of Sebring (USA) of Peugeot . Beyond the lack of pace, evident since the Prologue and confirmed during qualifying and the race, the French team completely missed the boat on reliability.

Striking example: the No. 94 could not even conclude the formation lap as it was already encountering a technical problem. The first in a long series... Peugeot finally finished far, very far from its peers in Hypercar, with 31st and 32nd places at the finish, respectively 26 and 98 laps from the Toyota n°7 victorious.

When the Florida test arrived, the explanations were eagerly awaited in the French clan. Olivier Jansonnie, technical director of Peugeot Sport, took on the difficult task of providing the post-race report. The French engineer explained that both cars had been affected by the same fault: an actuator problem on the 9X8's gearbox.

Same problems on the two Peugeot 9X8s

“We already knew about this problem, we tried to work on it and we have solutions for it, confided Olivier Jansonnie. But these solutions were not yet available for this race.

This is obviously not what we expected because we did our best to protect ourselves from that. We expected to have it, but not this early in the race. It doesn't look good, but it's not a bad surprise all things considered. This is something we were aware of. »

Almost two years after the birth of the 9X8 and the first tests carried out in 2021, the failure is all the more impressive as at the same time, Ferrari managed to get a pole and a podium for his first in Hypercar… and without encountering any major problems.

Obviously disappointed by the spectacle put on by his team, Olivier Jansonnie half-heartedly admits that Sebring was Peugeot's worst race since its return to France. WEC mid-2022.

“I can understand the analysis from the outside: in terms of reliability and pace, of course [that this is Peugeot's worst race since its return]. This track creates big differences in the sectors where we are weak. This is the lesson to be learned. »

Sebring “magnifies all the problems”

The French engineer nevertheless puts things into perspective by pointing out the atypical nature of the Sebring route. “We have to work on the settings, on a track as bumpy as Sebring. (…)

This is the main problem today. The aerodynamics are clearly disturbed since the suspensions do not work correctly. (…)

This track amplifies all the problems we may have encountered from the beginning. This was less important on European routes where the tracks are flatter. »

On the other hand, there is no question of calling into question the aerodynamic concept of the 9X8 according to Jansonnie.

“There is no easy conclusion to draw. Until we can manage to tune this car on this track, we can't really put our finger on the concept.

The reality is that there are flaws that are very obvious. The only 'good news' is that they are so obvious that we will attack and resolve them. Once we've sorted all that out, we'll know more about the car's potential. » 

Rebound expected in Portimão

The only satisfaction on Peugeot's side: the operational part of the team, with clear improvements in the stands in particular. “I am satisfied with the team in general. There has been major progress made.

In the pits, we are starting to have reasonable stop times. Of course, when you start a race a lap behind, it's difficult to get the team fully on the pace,” concluded Olivier Jansonnie. 

After the bitter failure at Sebring, the rebound will be obligatory for Peugeot, which will be expected at the turning point in Portimão on April 16. The Lion brand should logically make the necessary corrections and developments to avoid reliving the nightmare of the 1000 Miles.

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