Loïc Duval (Peugeot): "It's a great adventure"

The most experienced member of the Peugeot #94 trio (43 years old) teams up with the young Théo Pourchaire and Malthe Jakobsen (both 22). He brings all his experience to the trio and hopes to guide Peugeot to the front of the pack, having joined the Lion team in 2022 for the debut of the 9X8.

How are you feeling? Is it always great to arrive in Le Mans?
It's great to be here, as always, to participate in this event. Even though we have routines, there are always lots of little new things. We set up, we come here to Scrutineering, we present the cars, etc. I'd say it's almost a routine, with these little extras, but we're always very, very happy to be here and to participate in this major event.

You are teaming up with Theo Pourchaire and Malthe Jakobsen, the two Young Guns of the team, so to speak. What do you gain from having these two young wolves to coach?
I'm the one who brings so much to the table! (laughs) I think it's actually a logical progression in a career. I was the youngest driver at Audi. I remember being with Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish. I remember what they brought to my life. Motorsport evolves, but broadly speaking, there are still a lot of things that repeat themselves. So there's a real sense of sharing, even if everyone experiences these races in their own way, everyone has their own habits, their little rituals, and so on.

But I think what's important is that I'm able to step back and allow them to express themselves as they wish. Because even though they are—as we know—very talented and high-performing, they're still young, impetuous, and of course they want to show what they're capable of. This can potentially be a negative point in team racing: trying too hard to show you're good can be costly. So I think my role, precisely, is to bring a bit of composure, to calm things down, and to make sure they're comfortable enough to perform at their best. My role is really to put them in the best possible conditions, not in conditions of pressure or stress.

You share your experience with them, and then it's up to them to decide whether to use it, but you're not going to dictate how they do it?
No, not at all. Everyone should do as they please. My role is to ensure that, both technically and as a team, we give them the best opportunities to express themselves simply and in a relaxed manner. That's the objective. It's certainly not about trying to put myself forward, asking for new tires with low fuel consumption to set a fast lap time. I don't need that right now to feel comfortable in the car. So it's important that they experience these things and can express themselves in the best possible way.

"It's a great adventure — which will only be truly great when we achieve our sporting goals."

It has been more than five years now since the project began with Peugeot — It was February 2021. What is your perspective on these five years? How do you assess this project so far?
From a human perspective, it's been a fantastic adventure. From a sporting perspective, we clearly haven't achieved our objectives, whether for the technical teams or the drivers. There are still things to accomplish and work to be done. But it's been a great adventure—one that will only truly be complete when we achieve our sporting goals. And when I say sporting, I don't necessarily mean winning. Le MansBut it's about being able to compete for the win, to be in the running for the top spots. And when we achieve that, I think we'll have come full circle, and it will be a real personal and collective satisfaction.

How are you approaching this season? There was pole position at Spa, the second row at Imola, and each time incidents prevented the result, but we saw Peugeots capable of fighting back. Do you think that can continue here at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
Objectively speaking, playing at the front, playing to win—we're not at that level yet. As you said, we've shown a lot of interesting things that demonstrate our progress, our adaptability, and the optimization of our package. But today, we don't yet have all the tools. I think that in the short to medium term, that will come, and we should really be able to achieve our objectives. Le Mans always seems to choose its winner, so we'll have to overcome quite a few obstacles.

You mentioned tools: the new simulator that's coming to Peugeot. Do you think this is something that can help take things to the next level, having these very modern digital tools that might accelerate car development?
I certainly hope so. It also depends on our technical teams, on how well they can interpret the information and translate it onto the track. For the drivers, it's not what will allow us to win races. But it can allow us, by working with our technical teams, to find ways to improve our package. It's more at the technical level that it can be beneficial. For driving, I don't think it will revolutionize anything, but it can allow us to optimize certain aspects.

And finally, what would be your ideal scenario for these 24 Hours of Le Mans?
If we haven't made any mistakes, if all three of us have performed well and if we haven't wasted any time unnecessarily, then I'll be satisfied!

Comments collected by Michaël Duforest, in Le Mans.