– The anticipation for the year 2027 is huge at Peugeot. Then, finally, with further Evo jokers, the 9X8 is supposed to be rid of the last remnants that still stem from an unfortunately timed sequence of events from the early phase of the project in 2020 – including the LMH-LMDh convergence.
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But before that, a full season is still on the program. Peugeot CEO Alain Favey already boldly demanded the first victory at the launch. However, the implementation will be anything but easy, as the Le Mans hypercar is at the same level as in 2025, while the competition has partly significantly upgraded.
The preparation on the track was also relatively sparse: Peugeot only completed a 24-hour test in Portimao since the season finale in Bahrain 2025. Newcomer Nick Cassidy especially underwent the full acclimatization program. The Stellantis brand is focusing its test drives later in the year, possibly already with updates for 2027.
Simulator hours instead of test kilometers
Nevertheless, they were not idle over the winter. Malthe Jakobsen explains to Motorsport-Total.com that the team compensated for the lack of track time with intensive work in the workshop in Satory: “The engineers and mechanics invested many, many hours preparing the car and trying out countless setup options.”
So what is possible with the current package? “Maybe we should perform a rain dance,” jokes Theo Pourchaire from Peugeot #94 (Duval/Jakobsen/Pourchaire) in conversation with Motorsport-Total.com. The Peugeot 9X8 is considered a good rain car. And there is a chance of showers towards the end of the race on Sunday.
At the same time, Pourchaire warns against too high expectations for a consistent form curve: “There will be races where we struggle, and others where we will have a good car. That is simply the nature of our car.” In Imola, he especially fears the high curbs, which traditionally do not suit the 9X8’s suspension.
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Software and new faces as hope
But the new season will not start without changes. “The main focus of the test was to understand the 2026 tire compounds – how to prepare and warm them up to get the maximum grip. But there are always new things in the software,” explains team principal Emmanuel Esnault.
The work on the software is a crucial area, as it is one of the few that is not subject to the Balance of Performance. Besides the technology, Peugeot is also relying on fresh blood in leadership: with Mathieu Neuville as the new chief engineer and Esnault as team principal, the organization has been restructured.
Is all this enough for Imola? Paul di Resta from Peugeot #93 (di Resta/Vandoorne/Cassidy) remains realistic with Motorsport-Total.com: “We are still one step behind. Ferrari, Toyota, and a few LMDh manufacturers are in a better position. We certainly won’t go there and say that we have the strongest package.”
But the lions are not hanging their heads. “If you arrive at a race weekend and give up right away, then you have the wrong people in the team,” says Malthe Jakobsen combatively. They want to build on the strong end to the 2025 season.
Esnault sees it similarly: “We have reached a certain level of maturity. We are all racers and want to fight for wins. We have momentum and are now trying to finally get it right.”
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