“It was a richly deserved result given the effort put in by the team and it will inevitably have a positive impact on morale for Bahrain,” commented Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport Technical Director. “We proved that we were capable of doing great things.”
Team Peugeot TotalEnergies therefore heads into the final round of the 2024 FIA WEC season with moderate ambitions. “Our aim is to reproduce the form we showed in Fuji and have a little more race pace so we can fight for a podium spot. We know the Bahrain event well. It’s one of the longest races of the season, partly contested after dark and it’s really hot, so it will be tough for the drivers, the cars and the tyres because the racing surface is highly abrasive. ”
PEUGEOT has already contested the 8 Hours of Bahrain twice before and has taken part in various test sessions at the Bahrain International Circuit (5.412km). The PEUGEOT 9X8 have completed some 1,739 laps – or 9,500 kilometres – at the track since 2022, “excluding the tests held organised by Michelin in 2023 during which we tested using the new tyre dimensions,” continued Olivier Jansonnie.
“For sure, this going to be the first time on the Sakhir track for the 2024 version of the PEUGEOT 9X8 and it’s never easy to prepare for the 8 Hours of Bahrain whilst in Europe, but we do have some experience on this circuit and of the car.”
There is a 45-day break between the final two rounds of the 2024 season. Following the 6 Hours of Fuji, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies ran a test session to prepare for the final race as well as the 2025 season. “We have already started thinking about next year’s FIA WEC and we are testing various technical solutions on the PEUGEOT 9X8.”
The 8 Hours of Bahrain are due to start on Thursday 31 October with two free practice sessions, followed by a third session, qualifying and the Hyperpole session on 1 November. The final race of the 2024 FIA WEC will get underway on Saturday 2 November at 2pm local time (12.00pm CET). The day after the race, on Sunday 3 November, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies will take part in the Rookie Test with Théo Pourchaire and Clément Novalak both driving the PEUGEOT 9X8.
