Peugeot 9X8 Spotted Testing With Rear Wing

Peugeot appears set to abandon the wingless concept of its 9X8 LMH car after video footage surfaced of the car testing at Circuit Paul Ricard.

A video circulating on TikTok shows the French-built Hypercar lapping Circuit Paul Ricard with a revised rear-end, which notably appears to feature a rear wing previously not seen on the car.

It’s unclear exactly when the footage was shot, although Sportscar365 understands that the Peugeot completed a test at Paul Ricard in early December, which saw all six of its WEC race drivers as well as junior driver Malthe Jakobsen take part.

Should Peugeot adopt a rear wing for the 9X8’s third season of competition in the FIA World Endurance Championship, it will mark a significant departure from the radical wingless concept it first revealed when it presented the car in 2021.

Since then, the distinctive car has completed ten WEC races in which it has struggled for results.

The car became more competitive during the 2023 campaign, most notably finishing third overall in the 6 Hours of Monza and leading a portion of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

Rumors of a direction shift for Peugeot have been flying around for months as the French manufacturer looks for a way to jump up the running order in WEC’s burgeoning Hypercar class

Technical director Olivier Jansonnie previously indicated that it was evaluating “quite a lot of different concepts” for the 2024 season but did not outright confirm the addition of a rear wing.

Peugeot Sport’s social media team, meanwhile, has added more fuel to the fire with a post acknowledging the leaked video.

Hypercar manufacturers are allowed make a limited number of technical updates for performance reasons, known as ‘EVO jokers’ in the technical regulations.

However, unlike cars built to LMDh regulations, LMH manufacturers could roll out updates mid-season, which would allow Peugeot to start the season with its existing package as heavily rumored.