The 93rd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was a disappointing one for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies, who had carefully prepared for the race and were eager to achieve a strong result in front of the many fans who came to support the Lionesses at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
Even though PEUGEOT 9X8 #94 set a new Hypercar category distance record at Le Mans (384 laps, 5,232 km), the final result – 12th and 17th places – did not reflect the team’s efforts. It was a frustrating outcome following a promising start to the FIA WEC season, with strong performances in Qatar, Imola, and especially Spa-Francorchamps a month ago.
As expected under the specific regulatory framework of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the pace of the PEUGEOT 9X8s during the Test Day was not competitive enough. In Qualifying, the cars could do no better than 17th and 18th, and failed to make it into the Hyperpole session, unlike the previous three rounds of the season. Nonetheless, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies stayed focused, united, and concentrated on preparing race strategies to mitigate the performance gap.
The strategy was twofold: first, take advantage of race incidents and seize every opportunity; second, extend stints as long as possible, including triple stints on the same set of tires. Completing 13 laps per stint, compared to 12 for rivals, would help save a pit stop after a few hours, even if it meant slightly slower lap times to conserve fuel.
This strategy worked relatively well for the #94, which stayed in the top 10 in the early stages of the race and even briefly led during pit cycles, much to the delight of the brand’s fans. However, a spin following contact with another Hypercar disrupted the strategy, and despite the determination of drivers Loïc Duval, Malthe Jakobsen, and Stoffel Vandoorne, the car finished 12th.
The #93 suffered misfortune early on. After going off track to avoid a GT3 car stopped on the racing line at the Porsche Curves, it had to pit for front and rear bodywork repairs. Later in the night, it encountered a steering issue.
Despite a swift and efficient intervention by Team Peugeot TotalEnergies, the #93 lost another 10 minutes. Despite the disappointment, Paul Di Resta, Mikkel Jensen, and Jean-Eric Vergne pushed on to finish in 17th place.
Team Peugeot TotalEnergies remained motivated and never gave up. The team is already focused on the second half of the 2025 FIA WEC season, starting with the 6 Hours of São Paulo on July 13
Jean-Marc Finot, Senior VP of Stellantis Motorsport
“We knew, given the regulations, that we would be at a disadvantage in terms of pace for this race. We saw it clearly in qualifying – no one was surprised. So we developed a strategy to account for that: energy saving, longer stints, and fewer overall stops. It worked with the #94, which was battling the front-row-starting Cadillac after six hours. I’m very proud of the team, which delivered a flawless and professional performance, with the same precision and commitment as if we were fighting for the podium.”
Olivier Janssonie, Technical Director, Peugeot Sport
“Team Peugeot TotalEnergies delivered an impressive performance with very few mistakes, unlike some of our rivals who were frequently penalized. To achieve a respectable result here, we needed to be perfect. We were nearly perfect – from the engineers to the mechanics to the drivers. Kudos to everyone. The most important thing is to maintain this level of commitment – it will pay off when conditions improve.”
Jean-Eric Vergne (PEUGEOT 9X8 #93)
“A really tough Le Mans for us. The #93 hit the tire wall at the Porsche Curves while avoiding a GT3 car. The team did an amazing job replacing the bodywork, but we lost a lap. Later, I had a steering issue during the night. Again, the crew did a great job, but we lost three or four more laps. We gave it everything we had. It’s too soon to draw conclusions. The positive takeaway is that both cars finished, and it’s always a pleasure to drive on this circuit.”
Malthe Jakobsen (PEUGEOT 9X8 #94)
“We finished P12. Maybe not the result we had hoped for, but we can still be satisfied. The car made it to the finish – we only had to refuel and change tires. Everyone did a fantastic job over the past 10 days here at Le Mans, and the pit stops were flawless. We just need more pace to be in contention for a better result.”
Loïc Duval (PEUGEOT 9X8 #94)
“We finished 12th. It’s about where we expected to be this weekend after the Test Day. We knew it would be tough due to the regulations, but we optimized everything with the #94 and managed to battle with cars that were faster on paper.”
