[WEC] Peugeot Sport returning to WEC

[Gerard C]

Great result at Fuji, #93 finishing fourth and # 94 eighth. Surprisingly fast during the two last hours of the race. Well done. Nice to see that the change from baguette to sushi is profitable tho!

[tomcug]

They surely extracted the max out of their package today, took all advantage possible of mistakes and misfortunes of others. But just to clarify the Jotas didn't change any tyres in the last pit I think and Ferrari literally killed their rubber way too quick. And the Alpine was quicker

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by tomcug

They surely extracted the max out of their package today, took all advantage possible of mistakes and misfortunes of others. But just to clarify the Jotas didn't change any tyres in the last pit I think and Ferrari literally killed their rubber way too quick. And the Alpine was quicker

Yes but you have to be quick and reliable to capitalise on it. And they’re not that far off.

In the new era, you almost have to forget about positions and instead focus on distance to the leader. 18th in 2024 is a totally different kettle of fish to what it used to mean.

They’re reliable and getting faster, and both those things take more time with an LMH. Despite the name and appearance, it’s so different in concept it’s effectively a totally new car.

I’m a long way from writing them off

[flatlandsman]

I do think they were a little fortunate today, they maximized their new tyres at the race end, showed none of that pace during the race, this was a result of that late yellow really hurting a few teams.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Great result at Fuji, #93 finishing fourth and # 94 eighth. Surprisingly fast during the two last hours of the race. Well done. Nice to see that the change from baguette to sushi is profitable tho!

It all came good at the end - fell right for them and then they suddenly had pace and others messed up.

[Gerard C]

OT: did you think too that both the Toyotas were about to make it after three hours plus?

Anyway, the two Peugeot as you say had the pace at the end and went trough troubles during the race. Still, they must push harder to please the CEO…

[KlBD]

For all the talk about the winged 9x8's aero concept vs the wingless 9x8, we are most likely underrating the importance of the change in tire size and the knock-on effects this had on the rest of the car design. This is not just a 9x8 with a wing and less underbody tunnels, the aero balance, weight balance, suspension geometry, etc. all had to change to accommodate the new features. And while the team tested over the winter with this car, and the drivers had positive comments on its drivability, the problem Peugeot Sport are encountering now are:

a) How to extract the last, most critical bit of performance from the 2024 9x8

b) Figuring out how the new car reacts to circuit features, and how setup problems must be solved

By going to such a different new car, they basically started from zero on points a and b, and the two are related. Especially, on most circuits, they probably have not gotten a handle on how to best utilize the tires, which I think will remain one of the most important parts of the Hypercar battle in the coming years. I mean, you already see more teams opt for the strategy to save new tires for the end of a race, and it certainly paid off for Peugeot in Fuji.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by KlBD

For all the talk about the winged 9x8's aero concept vs the wingless 9x8, we are most likely underrating the importance of the change in tire size and the knock-on effects this had on the rest of the car design. This is not just a 9x8 with a wing and less underbody tunnels, the aero balance, weight balance, suspension geometry, etc. all had to change to accommodate the new features. And while the team tested over the winter with this car, and the drivers had positive comments on its drivability, the problem Peugeot Sport are encountering now are:

a) How to extract the last, most critical bit of performance from the 2024 9x8

b) Figuring out how the new car reacts to circuit features, and how setup problems must be solved

By going to such a different new car, they basically started from zero on points a and b, and the two are related. Especially, on most circuits, they probably have not gotten a handle on how to best utilize the tires, which I think will remain one of the most important parts of the Hypercar battle in the coming years. I mean, you already see more teams opt for the strategy to save new tires for the end of a race, and it certainly paid off for Peugeot in Fuji.

Great points about the tires. It seems learning how your car behaves the the tires on each individual track is hugely important to performance of the car.