After several podiums, the first at Monza in 2023 and the last at the previous round in Austin, each time with third places, Peugeot climbs onto the second step of the podium for the first time at the 6 Hours of Fuji. An achievement for a program that took to the track in December 2021, before a first race at Monza in July 2022.
However, the course of the race may give some regrets to the lion brand, which controlled the event before theAlpine No. 35 did not return to the match due to neutralizations in the event. This is why, despite the pride of a job well done, Mikkel Jensen feels a "bittersweet" feeling after finishing less than ten seconds from victory.
“Before the start of the weekend, we would certainly have signed for a second place, which is Peugeot’s best result in WECWe worked very hard for three and a half years to finish on the podium, that was the case in Austin with the other car, and here we finish second. We continue to work towards the top step of the podium, but it was very close today, that's why I have a bit of a bittersweet feeling.
The Danish driver, who finished the race in the No. 93 Peugeot 9X8, managed to resist the Porsche No. 6, who therefore finished the race in third place. After a start to the race spent battling against the Toyota, Cadillac and therefore Porsche, the Di Resta/Vergne/Jensen crew felt they had the measure of the rest of the field, until theAlpine Paul-Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi do not return to the fight, and do not "jump" them at the last pit stop...
"I think we were unlucky in the sense that theAlpine was very fast, and the Full Course Yellow and Safety Cars brought her back into the race. We were fighting against Toyota, Porsche and Cadillac at that point and we knew we could beat them all because we were faster. Suddenly, theAlpine came back into the game, and we knew they were a fast car. They had a penalty early in the race that dropped them down the field, and that was good for us, but suddenly they were back at the front. Their car doesn't degrade the tires much, they were only able to change two tires and so they passed us during the pit stop. We couldn't have the pace to catch them."
Peugeot still has one chance this season to win its first WEC race, at the 8 Hours of Bahrain, from November 8, before turning its attention to the 2026 season.
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Yves-Henri RANDIER
28/09/2025 at 06:08 a.m.
With the BOP, we can thus "designate" the winner of the next event! Endurance racing is therefore not always the best who wins but the one who is "not too burdened" by the rules even if anything can happen in the race. Between the BOP in WEC, the upcoming reverse grids in F1, the WRC which is still searching, the WRX which has lost its way with electric and the W2RC dependent on sportwashing countries ... but where is motorsport going?
Hilton Leon
28/09/2025 at 02:12 a.m.
Thank you BOP