Peugeot will not race its Le Mans Hypercar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as it is still focused on the testing and development schedule before the car can be homologated.
It stated on Friday that it will not be ready in time to contest the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Spa-Francorchamps.
The Spa round is a requirement established by the series to be allowed to race at Le Mans, meaning the 9×8 hybrid Hypercar will not be on the grid for the 90th edition of the French endurance classic.
Technical director Olivier Jansonnie said that the team has chosen to not contest Spa and Le Mans to make sure the team has more time for car development. Once a Le Mans Hypercar is homologated, it will remain fixed until 2025.
“Quite simply, this will afford us the time we need to achieve the necessary level of reliability,” said Jansonnie.
“For obvious reasons with regard to Balance Of Performance adjustments, it would not have been possible to enter the Le Mans 24 Hours without first contesting the preceding WEC race – the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 7.”
“This way, our planning will enable us to put the full weight of our teams and resources behind our own test sessions, without the disruption of racing at Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans.”
“Both operationally and from a reliability perspective, Le Mans is the most difficult race on the calendar. We will begin with some shorter races, which will allow us to progressively get up-to-speed in the championship.”
“Like with our road-going cars when we have to choose between meeting a deadline or focussing on quality, we always prioritise quality.”
