24 Hours of Le Mans
Peugeot Sport announces 2009 racing programme
© Peugeot Media
Despite today’s difficult economic context, Peugeot has chosen to pursue its different motor sport activities in 2009. These range from its high profile endurance racing programme to the promotion of its products through its various single-make series. The current crisis has led Peugeot’s management to seek synergies within Groupe PSA Peugeot Citroën with the appointment of Olivier Quesnel at the helm of Peugeot Sport.
Peugeot Sport suffered a huge disappointment in 2008 after coming so close to winning the Le Mans 24 Hours with the 908 HDi FAP which, even so, demonstrated its competitive potential with a score of four wins from five races in last year’s Le Mans Series.
The entire team is today fully focused on this year’s programme, beginning with its efforts to iron out the shortcomings that handicapped its bid for victory last year at Le Mans. These areas include optimisation of the traction control system, preventing the radiators from getting choked up and improvements to the fitment of the wheels with a view facilitating their replacement by the mechanics. Meanwhile, it has been a
case of adapting the 908 to the latest ACO regulations which target a significant curbing of performance.
“The engine settings have been completely revised to take onboard the new air restrictor dimensions and the lower turbo pressure which has resulted in a fall in power of approximately 10 per cent,” explains Peugeot Sport’s Technical Director Bruno Famin. “Significant work has gone into the 908’s aerodynamics, too, in order to re-optimise the car’s balance following the notable reduction in the width of rear wings which has been cut from two to 1.60 metres. We are also continuing with development work aimed at putting air-conditioning in the cockpit with a view to ensuring that the temperature inside the car stays within the regulatory threshold.
“At the same time, we are working on enhancing the car’s performance potential. This includes ongoing work on weight reduction in a bid to get close to the minimum limit, even with air conditioning, as well as optimisation of the diesel engine’s combustion, particulate filters (in association with Dow) and fuel injection (with Bosch), plus research into defining best possible chassis/tyre package (with Michelin).”
As stated above, the 2009 season’s overriding objective is the Le Mans 24 Hours and, as Olivier Quesnel explains, Team Peugeot Total has defined a particularly active programme as it builds up to the celebrated endurance race: “Our busy test programme notably includes endurance simulation tests at a variety of circuits, and we will take part in two races upstream of Le Mans which will serve as fullscale dress rehearsals for everyone in the team. We have consequently chosen to compete in March’s 12 Hours of Sebring, which is the opening round of the American Le Mans Series, with two cars and six drivers. We will then take three cars in Belgium for the 1,000km of Spa- Francorchamps in May (8-10). We haven’t yet decided what our programme after the Le Mans 24 Hours will be. We are looking at the different options to ensure the best possible exposure for the brand in promotional and media coverage terms, and also as a function of the level of competition. Last but not least, the livery of the 908 HDi FAP has changed. All the cars will now be predominantly blue, with the cockpit covered in a reflective chromelike aluminium covering aimed at keeping the temperature inside the car to a minimum. This endurance programme is only possible thanks to the assistance of our partners.”
© Peugeot Media
The Peugeot Sport line-up features 9 drivers, with the team’s confidence going to the drivers who have made such a satisfactory contribution to the first two years of its current endurance programme:
* Sébastien Bourdais (France), 30.
* David Brabham (Australia), 43.
* Marc Gené (Spain), 35.
* Christian Klien (Austria), 26.
* Pedro Lamy (Portugal), 37.
* Nicolas Minassian (France), 36.
* Franck Montagny (France), 31.
* Stéphane Sarrazin (France), 33.
* Alexander Wurz (Austria), 35.
The crews of the two cars for Sebring (March 21) are:
N°7 908 HDi FAP
Nicolas Minassian/Pedro Lamy/Christian Klien
N°8 908 HDi FAP
Franck Montagny/Stéphane Sarrazin/Sébastien Bourdais
Discussion
31 comments for “Peugeot Sport announces 2009 racing programme”
Post a comment
Also visit
Categories
Recent Comments
- Tonio31 on Sebring 12H - Planetlemans preview
- Tonio31 on Audi banks on efficiency at Le Mans
- Bamba on Sebring 12H - Planetlemans preview
- Bamba on No FIA GT2 Championship For 2010
- Jimmy Luna on Brabham More Motivated Than Ever For Sebring
- Bamba on Audi banks on efficiency at Le Mans
- Captain Spyro on Audi banks on efficiency at Le Mans
- Chris on Black Swan Racing to skip Sebring 12 Hours
wow David Brabham?….dident see that comming
Good to see Sébastien Bourdais back
Two words…
twit, twoo.
That is one helluva livery.
Also, if Brabham is only LM, where does that leave him with Acura?
“Also, if Brabham is only LM, where does that leave him with Acura?”
In all the ALMS rounds obviously.
Yes, but why would they let him do that and not LM? Seems bad business to miss out on the experience.
I’ve just realised (or had pointed out to me) my mistake.
Of course, no Acura at LM…
They have a better lineup than Audi. They’ve anteed up.
Apparently it seems they gave Michel Barge the boot.
But it was simply bad business to go to Petit LeMans with just one car considering that was the last chance to salvage anything from the 2008 season: they lost sebring, the LMS drivers and manufacturers title, LeMans 24h, then they show up with one car at Sebring???
To a lesser extent letting Christian Klien take the last stint at petit was controversial also. A pup like Klien taking on a lion like McNish!!! I just knew Minassian and Sarrazin were crying under their skins. Either one would have had McNish, considering the peugeot is faster.
It can be said that Barge let Klien drive to get him the crunch time experience, and that should come in handy.
I disagree, i don’t think either of them could have held off mcnish, he was getting past no matter what.
They dropped Ricardo Zonta and Jacque Villeneuve. Tracy Krohn might have locked up Zonta.
Villeneuve desperately wanted to win LeMans could he be knocking at Dr Ulrich’s door for a ride?
Or Maybe they just wanted the fastest drivers and those 2 didn’t make the cut.
I think this is Peugeot’s year.
A shame Zonta is in Grand Am. Why not David at AMR? The 1,000 km of Spa is a great race.
i know this is random sorry but does any 1 know were Emanuele Pirro is going to race on 2009 ???
I thought Emanuele Pirro retired??
I would of like to see Jacque Villeneuve win at Le mans with Peugeot Sport. Maybe Jacque stills wants to do that Nascrap thing….
This is good news for Peugeot, Nice car and awesome pick of Drivers, so two 908 at Sebring Three for the 1000km of Spa in May and three for 24 hours of Lemans. I CAN”T WAIT FOR SEBRING AND 24 HOURS OF LEMANS
“then they show up with one car at Sebring???”
The press release clearly says TWO cars for Sebring…
At petit LeMans in 2008 last year they showed up with 1 car.
Kyle they certainly would have held off McNish at Petit, that was the first time ever Christian Klien was racing at Road Atlanta, and he was pretty close. NOw you put in a faster driver and someone familiar with the track…
917K I meant Petit thanks for catching that.
David Brabbam is the most wanted Prototype driver: Acura, Peugeot, and Aston Martin want him dearly.
From what he delivered to the 1-2 supreme combo of Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard, everybody knows he can drive when it counts.
He probably picked to go with Peugeot ahead of Aston Martin, that’s why they’re missing one driver for now. I think I would have too.
If it comes down to a Peugeot and the Highcroft Acura shootout at Sebring all Acura personel will be watching closely to make sure David Brabbam doesn’t have his priorities mixed.
If all the P1 cars don’t have any serious tech glitches like last year, Sebring will be the best race of the year aside from LeMans.
i wonder if the 908 will start to look outdated to the new audi and acura. or will it be to soon in the development curves for the audi and acura to win?
Why would priorities be mixed??? That’s looking way too deep into a story that’s not there, doesn’t the media already this??
David is a great add for “The Lion” and Sebring is setting up to be a Battle Royale unlike the Little League race held at Daytona where Porsche was successful in getting concessions from rules makers and only the demise of the Ford challenge failed to make the middle of the race exciting, the end was never in doubt after about 18 hours or so.
Anyway, AMR likely didn’t want to pay his number, or he wanted to win overall and either Peugeot or Audi give him the best chance at winning overall.
Is it me or does the new Peugeot boss look like Dr Wolfgang Ulrich of Audi fame.
haha he does….
another dull peugeot livery
Isn’t Montangy running with Acura in the coming ALMS season?
No. Andretti green was not retained by Acura. Their results were too little too late. They were the best financed Acura team.
“They were the best financed Acura team.”
Just your speculation or do you have a link? I do not doubt that, just interested if there is some news story to this… I’m generally interested about LMP teams’ budgets.
Robert Clarke the guy who put the Acura LeMans program together had said it. The Fernandez team concentrated on Engine Development, Highcroft on Chassis developemt and AGR was pulling those resources to supposedly go for the championship.
highcroft’s driver lineup appears to be unmatched in the american series.they may be close to audi at sebring….hope so
Thanks for info, bamba. Shame since they started showing the form that would’ve made them a threat for the championship. I suppose with Porsche and Audi pulling out, there wasn’t much reason keeping a 4th team.
De Ferran’s lineup is actually better than Highcroft’s I would say.
Believe what you might but the De Ferran team is also the lead Acura team. That’s why Lowe’s Fernandez got snubbed for P1 honors and De Ferran got it. Gil deFerran gives the Honda corporate suits direct access to the decision making.
You think Scott Dixon is up for it? Last years race with the De Ferran team, he did ok. But it was his first time in a LMP car. Of course way more different from an IndyCar.
Alongside Pagenaud (who Gil deFerran should’ve tapped for Honda F1 duty instead) Scott Dixon was second fastest of all. Pagenaud was matching Audi’s qualifying record at Sebring and Dixon was on tenths behind. Only David Brabbam was keeping up with them.
Dario Franchitti probably has G-lag everynight trying to get used to racing this fast again. He’s reeling from nascar. He was the fastest at Andretti Green but he needs a bit of adjustment time now.
They’re both there because Honda requested their presence.
I’m going to miss Tony Kanaan his drives at Laguna Seca the past 2 years were highly entertaining. If it wasn’t for Montagny wrecking the car I say AGR would’ve won Petit.