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Team Peugeot TotalEnergies and the PEUGEOT 9X8 2024 obtained their best result of the season at the 6 Hours of Fuji (Japan). The no. 93 car (Jensen/Müller/Vergne) was fourth overall and the no. 94 car (Di Resta/Duval/Vandoorne) finished eighth, as the team produced a fine collective effort to claim a double top-ten finish.
“It was a richly deserved result given the effort put in by the team and it will inevitably have a positive impact on morale for Bahrain,” commented Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport Technical Director. “We proved that we were capable of doing great things.”
Team Peugeot TotalEnergies therefore heads into the final round of the 2024 FIA WEC season with moderate ambitions. “Our aim is to reproduce the form we showed in Fuji and have a little more race pace so we can fight for a podium spot. We know the Bahrain event well. It’s one of the longest races of the season, partly contested after dark and it’s really hot, so it will be tough for the drivers, the cars and the tyres because the racing surface is highly abrasive. ”
PEUGEOT has already contested the 8 Hours of Bahrain twice before and has taken part in various test sessions at the Bahrain International Circuit (5.412km). The PEUGEOT 9X8 have completed some 1,739 laps – or 9,500 kilometres – at the track since 2022, “excluding the tests held organised by Michelin in 2023 during which we tested using the new tyre dimensions,” continued Olivier Jansonnie.
“For sure, this going to be the first time on the Sakhir track for the 2024 version of the PEUGEOT 9X8 and it’s never easy to prepare for the 8 Hours of Bahrain whilst in Europe, but we do have some experience on this circuit and of the car.”
There is a 45-day break between the final two rounds of the 2024 season. Following the 6 Hours of Fuji, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies ran a test session to prepare for the final race as well as the 2025 season. “We have already started thinking about next year’s FIA WEC and we are testing various technical solutions on the PEUGEOT 9X8.”
The 8 Hours of Bahrain are due to start on Thursday 31 October with two free practice sessions, followed by a third session, qualifying and the Hyperpole session on 1 November. The final race of the 2024 FIA WEC will get underway on Saturday 2 November at 2pm local time (12.00pm CET). The day after the race, on Sunday 3 November, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies will take part in the Rookie Test with Théo Pourchaire and Clément Novalak both driving the PEUGEOT 9X8.
Paul di Resta (no. 94 PEUGEOT 9X8)
“We have raced twice before in Bahrain. Admittedly, that was with the previous PEUGEOT 9X8 but we have a lot of data that should help us at the start of the weekend. There has been a long break between Fuji and Bahrain, so we have had time to run some tests, especially focused on 2025. We have been thinking about next season since the end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There is a lot of development to do but the whole team is really motivated and working hard to make progress.”
Mikkel Jensen (no. 93 PEUGEOT)
“I’m ready for the final race of the season. Since the last round in Fuji, I have raced in the United States and have kept working on the simulator and my physical preparation and so on to be 100% for Bahrain. After having a good race in Japan, we want to finish this season on a high and then make a strong start to the 2025 season. We have already started focusing on next year. It will be a new start for the team.”
Malthe Jakobsen
“I’m going to be meeting up with the team in Satory for a day on the simulator before then working on videos and data. I’ll be with the team throughout the weekend in Bahrain, where I will be able to attend team briefings, etc. I’m going to learn a lot. My goal is to prepare as effectively as possible for my first race with the team, next year in Qatar.”