Leading with one hour to go, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies came very close to a first victory in the FIA World Endurance Championship during the landmark 100th FIA WEC race, held at the foot of Mount Fuji.
Paul Di Resta and Loïc Duval made excellent starts at the wheel of the PEUGEOT 9X8 #93 and #94. Paul gained one place to run third at the first corner, while Loïc climbed five positions on the opening lap. After two hours of bold attacking and firm defending, the PEUGEOT 9X8s were inside the top five when Jean-Eric Vergne and Malthe Jakobsen took over.
Second at the restart following a long Safety Car period, Jean-Eric Vergne then moved into the lead on lap 98 of the 6 Hours of Fuji, while Malthe fought his way up to third after fierce battles in traffic. Shortly after mid-distance, both PEUGEOT 9X8s were running on the provisional podium.
At the next pit stop, Malthe Jakobsen stayed at the wheel of the #94, but was unlucky to pit just before a Virtual Safety Car, which dropped the car to sixth. Jean-Eric Vergne stopped one lap later, under race neutralization, allowing the #93 to retain the lead with Mikkel Jensen now driving.
The Danish drivers of Team Peugeot TotalEnergies did a tremendous job to hold their positions and fend off sometimes aggressive attacks from rivals. At the final pit stop, the team chose to fit four new tires on both PEUGEOT 9X8s. Mikkel Jensen rejoined in second place, while Stoffel Vandoorne took over the #94 in sixth.
The Belgian thus concluded his successful spell with Team Peugeot TotalEnergies inside the top five. Mikkel Jensen gave everything to the checkered flag to defend second place, delivering the French team’s best FIA WEC result.
Alain Favey, CEO of Peugeot
“Having both cars in the Top 5 and securing a second consecutive podium here at Fuji is a tremendous source of pride for the whole team. It rewards not only the determination and hard work of the team, as well as our Japanese subsidiary—who worked tirelessly for this event—but also the steady progress of the 9X8 over the last three races. Seeing the car evolve and take a new step forward, race after race, is a source of motivation and satisfaction for everyone at Peugeot.”
Jean-Marc Finot, Senior VP, Stellantis Motorsport
“After our first podium of the year with third place in Austin two weeks ago, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies continues its progress with a magnificent second place at Fuji. It was a thrilling race that kept the team and motorsport fans on edge for six hours. Although the sequence of race incidents didn’t allow us to win this weekend, we will keep delivering strong performances to aim for the top step.”
Olivier Jansonnie, Technical Director, Peugeot Sport
“It was a rather eventful race with many on-track incidents, and FCYs and Safety Cars that influenced the final result. We partially benefitted with the #93; others gained more than we did. It all came down to tire strategy—who could keep their tires on track the longest. We managed to hold off Porsche, who were on the same strategy as us, but there was nothing we could do against Alpine. Still, it’s a very strong overall result, with a fine second place for the #93.”
Jean-Eric Vergne (PEUGEOT 9X8 #93)
“I had a good stint. It took me a bit of time to overtake and move into P1, but then I managed to open a gap to hand the car to Mikkel with a small cushion, and we pitted at the right moment. It was a solid race. P2 is a great result for the team.”
Malthe Jakobsen (PEUGEOT 9X8 #94)
“A tough race with two Safety Cars and two restarts, plenty of on-track battles and some great overtakes as well. Managing the rear tires was tricky. We know we have the potential to fight with the very best, and I can’t wait to be in Bahrain for the final race of the season.”
