Peugeot announces full 2009 lineup

Peugeot and Audi will go head-to-head at Sebring and LeMans this year

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 program 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 program, beginning with its efforts to iron out the shortcomings that handicapped its bid for victory last year at Le Mans. These areas include optimization 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-optimize the car’s balance following the notable reduction in the width of rear wings which has been cut from two to 1.60 meters. 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 optimization of the diesel engine’s combustion, particulate filters (in association with Dow) and fuel injection (with Bosch), plus research into defining best possible chassis/tire 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 program as it builds up to the celebrated endurance race: “Our busy test program 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 full-scale 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 program 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 chrome like aluminum covering aimed at keeping the temperature inside the car to a minimum. This endurance program is only possible thanks to the assistance of our partners."

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 program:

* 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 teams of the two cars for Sebring (March 21) are:

N°7 908 HDi FAP
Nicolas Minassian/Pedro Lamy/Christian Klien
°8 908 HDi FAP
Franck Montagny/Stéphane Sarrazin/Sébastien Bourdais