Peugeot 908 for '09

[Down F0rce]

Would that be in place of, or addition to, a factory backed team?

[Dead-Eye]

At LM probably an addition, but I highly doubt the factory would run in the ALMS.

[WMUCarGuy]

With Highcroft dedicated to sportscars and de Ferran looking to head to IRL, I'd imagine Highcroft would be the best choice. Dayton does seem to be quite smitten with the Wirth/Acura products, but if he can get some kind of support from Peugeot, whereas it's dried up from Acura, perhaps the Peugeot makes more sense. Plus then they'd have a car capable of winning Le Mans, which has been Dayton's goal all along.

[gert]

On top of that, Highcroft also has one of Peugeot's Le Mans winners.

They're looking for a new driver to replace Sharp.
Montagny? That would be a good choice based on talent, and will probably please Peugeot too.

[The Badger]

I reckon Pagenaud would be a better choice , he already knows the tracks .

[tkelland]

Montagny knows most, if not all of the tracks already. He started in 2008 with AGR at Lime Rock, I believe. So LRP, M-O, Rd Amer., Mosport, Rd. Atl., and Laguna he already knows. He did Sebring this past year, 2009 with Peugeot and in 2008 he raced for Forsythe in the last Champ Car race at Long Beach. The only track I can think of that he may not know on the 2010 schedule is Miller Motorsports Park.

[WMUCarGuy]

How about Brabs and Montagny full time and Pagenaud for the long races as I'm sure de Ferran would like to have him in IRL. All 3 have experience with the Pug, so it'd be easy to have any combination of those 3.

[Tom908V12]

Pics of François Fillon, prime minister, "testing" the 908 at Le Mans yesterday
http://news.caradisiac.com/Francois-...Les-photos-960

[deggis]

http://news-images.caradisiac.com/IM...6/Fillon-7.jpg

It is really a two-seater

[Tim the Grey]

I bet they're glad they're French. I doubt they'd get Gordon Brown in there...

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

I bet they're glad they're French. I doubt they'd get Gordon Brown in there...

Or Angela Merkel!, she is small, but wide.

[The Badger]

They should put Brian Cowan the pig in it , and drive it into a wall full pelt !!!

[CTD]

Originally Posted by The Badger

They should put Brian Cowan the pig in it , and drive it into a wall full pelt !!!

This is going off topic in a serious way .

BTW, shouldn't this thread be renamed to "Peugeot 908 for '10"?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by deggis

http://news-images.caradisiac.com/IM...6/Fillon-7.jpg

It is really a two-seater

That is amazing! I wonder what they had to rearrange to make it work.

[skycafe]

Don't most pro-drivers tend to learn a circuit within a couple of laps? We aren't talking about the 'Ring...

Why exactly would Peugeot place a 908 in ALMS? This is what I do not undertand. I understand Highcroft or even DeFarren, they have proven to be good teams. I understand Brabs, he was on the LeMans team. I am having trouble as to why Peugeot is headed here; not in this economy. The only thing I would believe is the Hybrid 908 here as an effort to market their hybrid technology to manufacturers. I have not checked as I am lazy, but does Peogeot even have a hybrid road car in production?

rober

[deggis]

Originally Posted by joeb

That is amazing! I wonder what they had to rearrange to make it work.

Now I remember they did the same when Sarrazin and Loeb swapped cars:

http://www.endurance-info.com/versio...ebSarrazin.jpg

If I remember correctly, somewhere in the technical regulations, it is mentioned that there must be space for a second "theoretical" seat.

[broadrun96]

Sorry, but does tv not make it over to Europe now? The arguing that a manufacturer wouldn't race here because there's no presence here would be negated by the fact that most fans would be watching rather than attending the race or reading race reports, why would it matter where the cars ran? If they get a rules advantage running in the LMP class, why wouldn't you take it if you wanted to keep the program running for LM2010?

[aeroehl]

No way Obama would fit in that thing, especially with his big ole deficit.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by skycafe

Don't most pro-drivers tend to learn a circuit within a couple of laps? We aren't talking about the 'Ring...

Why exactly would Peugeot place a 908 in ALMS? This is what I do not undertand. I understand Highcroft or even DeFarren, they have proven to be good teams. I understand Brabs, he was on the LeMans team. I am having trouble as to why Peugeot is headed here; not in this economy. The only thing I would believe is the Hybrid 908 here as an effort to market their hybrid technology to manufacturers. I have not checked as I am lazy, but does Peogeot even have a hybrid road car in production?

rober

I think the talk with Peugeot in USA is about a Highcroft buying an 908, and then recieving technical support from Peugeot (kinda like Porsches Lmp2 program). The 908h, isn't race ready i believe (and the chassis its build from is an old one), but Peugeot do pretty soon launch a 3008 Hybrid, and soon a hybrid model for every car model they produce! (even the RC-Z).

[broadrun96]

Was the rule clarified for how hybrid systems could work? Thought Pug had said theirs worked a lot like the F1 systems with a KERS 'boost' button and the ACO wanted a more seamless fulltime intergration over the 'push-to-pass' idea of the F1 style. Could be an easy conversion, but I haven't seen anything about the ACO system lately, if they have a set rule.

[deggis]

Since June ACO has released couple press releases (PDFs available) related to 2010 rules but I don't remember anything or at least not anything specific about hybrid regs. Maybe clarified when the actual 2010 technical regs are published unless whole idea has been ditched... KERS in F1 wasn't exactly encouraging example (all of the teams, now also including Williams, have agreed not to use KERS in 2010).

[deggis]

http://translate.google.com/translat...istory_state0=

According to Saulnier, 2010 program will be "almost the same as this year".

[CTD]

Originally Posted by deggis

Since June ACO has released couple press releases (PDFs available) related to 2010 rules but I don't remember anything or at least not anything specific about hybrid regs. Maybe clarified when the actual 2010 technical regs are published unless whole idea has been ditched... KERS in F1 wasn't exactly encouraging example (all of the teams, now also including Williams, have agreed not to use KERS in 2010).

The reason was dumped in F1 was it wasn't giving enough performance for money and weight. In Sportscar KERS (hybrid) has another purpose that performance/range, puplicity!. Toyota was good eksampel on this, as a "hybrid" F1 car (F1 with KERS) wouldn't be special, but a Toyota Lmp1 Hybrid (KERS) would be!
So using KERS (hybrids) in Sportscars, makes more sence than doing it in F1. Also why would Peugeot evolve one, if there wasn't any good in it? (and hint/state, the next car will be one)

[deggis]

Originally Posted by CTD

The reason was dumped in F1 was it wasn't giving enough performance for money and weight. In Sportscar KERS (hybrid) has another purpose that performance/range, puplicity!. Toyota was good eksampel on this, as a "hybrid" F1 car (F1 with KERS) wouldn't be special, but a Toyota Lmp1 Hybrid (KERS) would be!
So using KERS (hybrids) in Sportscars, makes more sence than doing it in F1. Also why would Peugeot evolve one, if there wasn't any good in it? (and hint/state, the next car will be one)

Nonsense. What if it would have been labelled/promoted as a hybrid system in F1 instead of using this awkward acronym? And there you go, very special Toyota Hybrid Formula One car.

Publicity? Indeed. If ACO really wants a hybrid winner, then it will no different to current sad situation with diesels, that it is not about the better technology but publicity and marketing...

It depends on the specific regulations but same problem than in F1 is very possible. Performance advantage that becomes more disadvantage because of ruined weight distribution of the car plus extra reliability worries. For McLaren and Ferrari it took half a season to perfect the systems and finally get some advantage.

edited