Peugeot’s two 9X8s slipped from a podium‑grade qualifying run into the rear of the Le Mans field, prompting team principal Emmanuel Esnault to issue a scathing statement to the media.
From poles to the back of the grid
In the Imola 6‑Hours the 9X8 finished fourth, only 0.073 seconds shy of pole, while the seat‑belts claimed pole at Spa‑Francorchamps. At Le Mans the pair were forced onto 16th and 18th because only the top 15 entries earned entry to Thursday’s Hyperpole. Stoffel Vandoorne’s #93 was the fastest of the duo, 1.843 seconds slower than the fastest qualifier and 0.355 seconds away from the 15th‑place cut‑off. The #94 driven by Malthe Jakobsen lagged more than 2.5 seconds from the pace.
Esnault blames the BoP
Esnault’s comments came shortly after the qualifying sessions. “Moving from pole threat in Imola and Spa to being two‑tenths per kilometre behind the field is extremely frustrating, but that’s racing,” he said, keeping his voice matter‑of‑fact and his face Expressionless. When pressed on why Peugeot’s performance dropped so sharply, he answered simply, “We are in World Endurance Championship.” His statement was a thinly veiled reference to the secret Balance of Performance (BoP) adjustments that aim to equalise a wide variety of Hypercar designs. BoP changes are strictly prohibited from being discussed publicly, which has led to behind‑the‑scenes debates among teams and tyre‑tests.
Parallels with last year’s frustrations
The situation is not new for Peugeot. Paul Di Resta previously described it as “being handcuffed”, and Jean‑Eric Vergne lamented that he had “put my heart and soul into fighting this” without the ability to influence BoP decisions. Vergne, who left front‑line driving for Peugeot to focus on Formula E, remains a test driver for the marque.
Looking forward to the race
Esnault avoided setting unrealistic expectations. “The key point now, starting from the back, is to survive – to be opportunistic and to give a clean sheet in terms of operations, pit‑stops, and strategy,” he said. He added a touch of humour, joking about “needing Alfred Hitchcock to jump in” to handle the mixed parameters. The focus for the team is on resilience, clever tactics, and putting the drivers in the right state of mind to turn the poor start into a battle‑worthy position on race day.
With the 9X8s now rooted at the back of the 24‑hour grid, the only path left for Peugeot is to exploit unforeseen circumstances and every‑seemingly‑tying variable in the race, a strategy that could still reward the team despite the qualifying setback.
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