Olivier Jansonnie provides latest update on whether Peugeot could have new car or further Evo jokers for 9X8…
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Photo: Julien Delfosse/DPPI
Peugeot Sport technical director Olivier Jansonnie says the French brand is still awaiting clarity from the rule makers on whether it will be permitted to build an all-new car for the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2027 to replace its current 9X8 LMH.
Jansonnie revealed ahead of last weekend’s Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of The Americas that he expects the FIA and the ACO to reach a conclusion “in the next few weeks” about whether the WEC’s Hypercar manufacturers will be granted an additional extra homologation, or the use of further Evo jokers beyond next season.
While the rain-impacted COTA round marked the best showing yet for the 9X8 since its overhaul last year, with Peugeot finishing third and fourth, the Stellantis-owned brand is known to have been evaluating an all-new car amid its competitive struggles.
However, it needs the blessing of the FIA and ACO to do so, and amid intensifying talks in recent weeks involving all the manufacturers as well as the governing bodies, Jansonnie believes a resolution is now imminent.
“It’s very dense in terms of discussions right now,” Jansonnie told reporters at COTA. “I am assuming this will be clarified in the next few weeks now.
“The technical regulations have been extended [through 2032] now, and some teams like us, who have been here since the beginning of the championship, somehow need to be given chances to update the cars.
“This is what has been discussed, to try to find the right balance between opening it up a little bit, and not opening it up too much, so we are not facing an overall cost increase, and trying to keep it fair between the newcomers and the teams that have been there for a long time. It’s not easy, by the way; that’s the reason why it takes so long.”
Peugeot has previously outlined a desire to be part of the WEC for the long-term despite its competitive struggles with the second iteration of the 9X8 that came on stream last year, but has already used the second full homologation open to it, and is also believed to have burned through all five of its Evo jokers.
Jansonnie said that the Satory-based marque is “always evaluating” concepts for both clean-sheet designs and additional updates to the current 9X8, and that it is “ready” to react as soon as the rules are finally decided upon.
However, he didn’t outline a clear preference between the two options when asked by Sportscar365, beyond stressing the need for the rules to be unambiguous.
“My preference is to do something, whatever it is, on regulations that are written and clear,” said Jansonnie.
“The thing that Peugeot needs to avoid 100 percent is what happened to us at the beginning of the LMH regulations, when the regulations changed when the car was already designed.
“The tricky point is [ensuring] the rules are completely clear for everybody. It means time, and what you are allowed to do and not allowed to do. It has to be fair and consistent.”
In the event that Peugeot decides to build an all-new car, Jansonnie indicated that sticking to LMH remains the brand’s preference over a simpler LMDh design that would make use of one of the four licensed chassis and a spec rear-mounted hybrid system.
“As it is today, somehow, if you look back, we explained why we did the LMH rules and not the LMDh,” he said. “This hasn’t changed.
“Practically, the only thing that might have changed, is that we understand the LMH is more difficult generally in terms of technical ambition. You have to design a complete car; it is a more complicated project.
“But the reasons in terms of marketing and positioning with what we want to do in endurance racing for Peugeot have not changed. So for us LMH is the best regulation.”
Jansonnie was also asked for his view on suggestions that the LMH and LMDh rulesets could be unified by the end of the decade, a course of action championed most notably by Porsche motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach.
“Now we are also happy to discuss what could be the evolution of the regulations, with the chance that we converge everything, but for us convergence doesn’t mean we go to LMDh,” he said. “It means we really converge and try to make something in between.
“The question is when can we do this and is it actually realistic.”
Jamie Klein is Sportscar365’s Asian editor. Japan-based Klein, who previously worked for Motorsport Network on the Motorsport.cоm and Autosport titles, covers the FIA World Endurance Championship and SUPER GT, among other series.
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