Peugeot Was in “Good Position” Until Problems Struck

Peugeot’s LMH technical director felt the manufacturer was in a “good position” during the early stages of the 8 Hours of Bahrain until both of its cars encountered issues.

After qualifying on the front row of the grid, Paul Di Resta ran second behind Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Sebastien Buemi through the opening stint of Saturday’s FIA World Endurance Championship season finale.

Despite losing second place to the No. 7 Toyota due to a slower first pit stop, the No. 93 Peugeot carried on in third until just under two hours into the race when Di Resta pulled over at the exit of Turn 1 in response to malfunctioning gearshifts.

“We were quite satisfied at the beginning,” reflected technical director Olivier Jansonnie.

“We had some options. I think on strategy, we were a bit offset on one car, so there were some options for us.

“After two stints when we started having issues, the pace didn’t say a lot anymore. So we couldn’t really compare anymore. But the first two stints were quite good in that respect.

“We were in a good position. Car No. 94 was on a different [tire] strategy, so probably a bit more conservative.

“But then probably at some point, the plan is to make use of this conservative strategy and to be quicker at some point, which we couldn’t demonstrate because we had to stop.”

The problems on the two Peugeot 9X8s were different in Bahrain, unlike at the 6 Hours of Fuji where their races were both affected by oil leaks caused by the same loose part.

The No. 93 machine’s gearbox issue, which came on a new unit that was installed after Free Practice 1, returned later in the eight-hour race and forced it to retire in the garage.

“The [No. 93] car had a gearbox issue as well in Free Practice,” said Jansonnie. “And we had it again in the race.

“That [problem] is a different one. We need to get to the bottom, so it’s difficult during the race when you don’t really analyze. You have to wait and check everything.”

The No. 94 Peugeot briefly stopped on track twice but had no signs of gearbox trouble and went on to finish fourth behind the two Toyotas and the Alpine A480 Gibson.

Jansonnie described it as a “systems-related” problem that will be investigated further after the event, while Peugeot later revealed that the No. 94 had its fuel pump changed.

Describing the Bahrain result as “frustrating”, he also acknowledged that it formed part of the “ups and downs” of introducing a new hybrid car to the Hypercar class.

Both of the 9X8s spent a long time in the garage on their debut at Monza but they offered something closer to podium potential at Fuji.

Peugeot has tested privately between each of its race outings, which are being made in preparation for its first full WEC season next year.

“It’s always a bit on the edge,” Jansonnie suggested, noting that the reliability issues emphasize the need for Peugeot to conduct a 24-hour endurance test.

“The car is still very young and we have some new problems. Fuji was quite positive. This race, a bit less.

“But generally I think the trend is still the same. You have some ups and downs, and clearly we had a down in that race for us.”

Di Resta added: “When you look at it, there are times when the car looks decent and competitive.

“There are times when it certainly struggles, but I guess that’s why you’re here. We were definitely identifying new challenges and improving upon things.”