24 Hours of Le Mans

Peugeot Sport confirms 2010 program

© Peugeot Sport

Peugeot Sport announced its long awaited plans for the 2010 season this afternoon. After winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year the mission for this season is clear: another win at Le Mans. For the final year of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP the French manufacturer has improved the car once again and a series of test sessions and races are planned to accomplish that mission.

In order to be fully ready for the 78th 24 Hours of Le Mans Peugeot has chosen eleven drivers to be part of the 2010 Peugeot Sport team that is aiming for a new victory at Le Mans.

For Le Mans the three Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs will have a brand new livery and will be wearing race numbers 1, 2 and 3 for the first time. 2009 Le Mans winners Marc Gené, Alexander Wurz will share the #1 car with Anthony Davidson. For Gené and Wurz it will be their fourth Le Mans, for Davidson it will be his third Le Mans race. The Briton, who raced for Aston Martin Racing in 2009, tested a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP however back in 2008 at Paul Ricard.

The #2 car will be 100% French. Nicolas Minassian, Franck Montagny and Stéphane Sarrazin. Car #3 will be entered for Sébastien Bourdais, Simon Pagenaud and Pedro Lamy. Christian Klien, who finished sixth with Peugeot in 2009 and third in 2008, will not be racing at Le Mans for Peugeot this year. The Austrian will be the reserve driver for Team Peugeot Total, while 2009 THP Spider Cup winner Gregory Guilvert will be taking on the role as official Peugeot test driver, after impressing in a test session.

But before heading to Le Mans Peugeot will first do two other races. Next month Peugeot will race Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs in the Sebring 12 Hours. In the United States the #07 will be driven by Anthony Davidson, Marc Gené and Alexander Wurz, while the #08 will be driven by Sébastien Bourdais, Pedro Lamy and Nicolas Minassian. The team will also be testing at Sebring the weekend before the race, as well as two days after the race.
After Sebring Peugeot will fly its cars back to Europe and three cars will be entered in the Le Mans Series 1000 KM of Spa-Francorchamps, the dress-rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Even though it was expected that Peugeot would start its work on the 2011 car after Le Mans and would not be entering any other rounds, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP is still set to race in two more rounds. In September Peugeot will take part in the 1000 KM of Silverstone and – depending on confirmation by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest – Peugeot will also enter the Le Mans Intercontinental Cup race planned in Shanghai, China. In the meantime the engineers at the Peugeot Sport HQ will start working on the new car according to the 2011 regulations.