Peugeot will use jokers on its 9X8 for 2023

After three races marked by reliability problems in 2022, the Peugeot 9X8 will embark on a full season for the first time in 2023. The opportunity for a new challenge for the French team which will discover new circuits, from the opening of the exercise to 1000 Miles of Sebring (the 17th of March). 

« This circuit, atypical, does not present characteristics directly transposable for preparation for 24 Hours of Le Mans, but the duration of the race, and the technical difficulty of the route, require endurance and reliability, explains Olivier Jansonnie, the technical director of Peugeot Sport. This event will however be very interesting in the preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans: for the first time, in the history of modern endurance, two categories, LMH and LMDh will compete together, and new competitors will face each other.

Once again, our three preparation races will be useful to us for this first. In 2023, in parallel with the races, the team will be dedicated to testing sessions with the 24 Hours of Le Mans as its objective. » After racing at Paul-Ricard in December, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies should carry out another test, this one lasting 36 hours, during February.

Some changes will also be made to the French Hypercar. “ In 2023, we will use jokers, as the regulations authorize us to do, to carry out some developments, but the concept of the car remains unchanged. During the first months, our plan is simple: reliability, performance, endurance sessions…” explains the French technician. Each manufacturer has the right to five jokers to refine the car as it has been approved. 

Peugeot in search of reliability

The goal will clearly be to resolve the reliability problems of the 9X8 that appeared during the 2022 races. 

« Competing in these three races was absolutely essential in our preparation for 2023 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, develops Olivier Jansonnie. These commitments have taught us a lot. Monza made it possible to create a racing team: some had indeed experience in endurance, but some of it was more than ten years old, others had practiced in different sporting disciplines, and finally some had never evolved in sports car.

Monza introduced us to the format of a raceEndurance in FIA WEC, its progress and the organization that this requires. We encountered reliability problems, resolved for Fuji, which was a nice surprise, in terms of competitiveness. Everything was smoother throughout the driving sessions in Japan.

In Bahrain, the disappointment felt during this final 2022 round comes from a lack of reliability which prevented the performance potential of the Peugeot 9X8 from being expressed. Until we have reached a sufficient level of reliability, the team will not be able to dedicate itself entirely to performance, and demonstrate the potential of the Peugeot 9X8. »

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