WEC: Puegeot struggling with Sebring’s washboard track

They don’t have tracks in Europe like the USA has at Sebring.

It’s so bumpy it’ll rattle your teeth.

Americans like to say the track has character. European’s would not put up with such crap.

Peugeot has not raced at Sebring.

Boy were they surprised.

Manufacturers like to race at Sebring. If their car doesn’t break or crack over the bumps, they should be good for Le Mans.

It’s on the Sebring International Raceway that Team Peugeot TotalEnergies started the first qualifying session of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) season 11. The session was preceded by the Prologue and three free practices that allowed the team and the drivers to gather important information about the driveability and the performance of the PEUGEOT 9X8. Therefore, it showed great improvements facing the six other manufacturers of the Hypercar grid.

The 15-minute session under the Florida setting sun and Loïc Duval, at the wheel of the #94 PEUGEOT 9X8 was the quickest to end 8th on the grid with a lap in 1:47.455, the fastest so far here in Sebring. Right behind, in 9th position in this highly competitive reining class, is Mikkel Jensen with the #93 PEUGEOT 9X8. The Dane ended the qualifying with a best lap of 1:48.205.

“We made progress in the qualifying session today, compared to the Prologue where we discovered this special and bumpy track,” said Jean-Marc Finot, Stellantis Motorsport Senior VP .

He was being polite.

“We made improvements all week long in the team and on the car. We can see that we still have a long way to go but we look forward to racing tomorrow, it will be a long one and there will be several opportunities to deliver a good result.”

“It’s a tough track for us, we are improving, qualifying was one step and now there is another step tomorrow with the race. We will try to have a clean race, to be competitive and consistent with the tires,” said driver Loic Duval, his teeth still rattling around in his jaw.