Peugeot is now inclined to replace its current 9X8 challenger as an alternative of pursuing an all-new Le Mans Hypercar for the World Endurance Championship.
The obvious shift in Peugeot’s stance follows the introduction of a brand new clause within the 2026 technical rules, permitting struggling producers to request extra evo joker upgrades past their authentic allocation. The rule states that “Extra Evolutions extensions (EVO Jokers) might be granted for a demonstrated important lack of efficiency as decided by the governing physique.”
That is significantly important for Peugeot, which is known to have used each its homologations and exhausted all 5 evo jokers out there beneath the 9X8’s preliminary five-year cycle by 2027.
For the reason that summer time, the French marque had been evaluating a clean-sheet prototype to exchange the 9X8, arguing the automotive was closely compromised by early LMH regulation modifications made to align the class with LMDh. A contemporary construct would have required approval from the FIA and the Car Membership de l’Ouest.
Nevertheless, Peugeot now says discussions with the rulemakers centre on what additional evolutions may very well be utilized to the present automotive throughout the expanded regulatory framework.
All joker-based upgrades – whether or not these throughout the allocation or extra – should nonetheless be authorised by each governing our bodies.
“The brand new discussions we’re having now have opened up the chances for evolutions,” Peugeot technical director Oliver Jansonnie mentioned in Bahrain. “What is just not clear but is the complete content material of the evolution that’s out there. We’re discussing extra particulars now.”
Requested if these discussions have been additionally a few new automotive, Jansonnie added: “On the minute, they’re speaking about evolutions on the vehicles.”
Pressed additional on whether or not Peugeot may undertake a serious overhaul just like the 2024 replace, as an alternative of homologating an all-new chassis, he mentioned: “It may very well be. That’s the dialogue.”
#94 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Loic Duval, Malthe Jakobsen, Stoffel Vandoorne
Picture by: Shameem Fahath
For a lot of the 2025 season, the 9X8 ran on the minimal weight and the utmost energy allowed to LMH prototypes beneath the WEC’s Stability of Efficiency system.
Nevertheless, Peugeot nonetheless ended the season second-last within the constructors’ standings, scoring simply two podiums throughout the eight rounds.
Jansonnie mentioned producers unable to succeed in a aggressive baseline ought to have the chance to enhance their vehicles.
“Inside a BoP components, it makes full sense that BoP is used to attempt to stability the vehicles as much as the purpose the place it’s good to have an evolution of your automotive, as a result of your automotive cannot survive with the utmost BoP – and that is the place we’re,” he mentioned.
“What we’re pushing for is that whenever you arrive at this sort of state of affairs, which is ours now, you are allowed to do some evolutions in your automotive.”
Toyota, BMW, Cadillac and Alpine have all introduced plans to invoke evo jokers to make important revisions to their hypercars for the 2026 WEC season.
Nevertheless, Jansonnie argued that frontrunning producers shouldn’t be allowed extra growth in a championship constructed round managed efficiency.
After successful the 2024 producers’ title, Toyota opted in opposition to updating its GR010 Hybrid, believing the rulemakers can be unlikely to grant evo jokers given its current success.
“It was a vital milestone to have this written that whenever you’re principally lacking efficiency, you are allowed to do one thing. And I believe the other can also be crucial,” Jansonnie mentioned.
“If you’re not lacking any efficiency, you shouldn’t be allowed to do something. That is our perspective. That is what we’re making an attempt to defend.
“Clearly, we’ve totally different opinions with the producers about this. That is utterly clear and regular. I believe we’re transferring in the precise path proper now to get this widespread understanding of the state of affairs.”
The unique Peugeot 9X8 in 2022
Picture by: Masahide Kamio
Peugeot joined the WEC in mid-2022, marking its first top-class sportscar programme because the abrupt finish of the 908 venture in early 2012.
It had designed the 9X8 based on the preliminary LMH rules, which mandated equal-sized tyres throughout the entrance and rear axles. Nevertheless, the principles concerning tyre sizes and the general weight have been later modified to permit LMDh vehicles to race alongside their LMH counterparts in WEC, leaving Peugeot locked into an idea based mostly round an identical 31-inch tyres.
Following early struggles within the WEC, Peugeot utterly overhauled its automotive philosophy, which relied closely on ground-effects to generate downforce, adopting the identical 29/34 inch tyre cut up as the remainder of the competitors and including a traditional rear wing.
However outdoors of some podium finishes, the replace has accomplished little to alleviate the staff’s fortunes, prompting the staff led by Jansonnie to hunt additional avenues for enchancment.
Peugeot had acknowledged earlier this 12 months that it’s dedicated to the WEC for the long-term. Ought to it fail to safe approval for main upgrades earlier than 2027, it can nonetheless profit from two evo jokers allotted to every producer for the 2028–29 seasons.
The Hypercar rules have been prolonged to 2032, with extra evo jokers out there for the ultimate three years of the cycle. In the meantime, discussions proceed amongst producers about unifying LMH and LMDh right into a single rulebook for the highest class.
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