Stellantis’s vice president of motorsport told reporters during the race at Le Mans last month that Peugeot will stay in the FIA World Endurance Championship, as long as the French manufacturer is treated fairly.
“We have decided to go until 2026,” he said.
“As long as we are fairly treated by the organisation, there is no issue. If we are not fairly treated, we can make any decision.”
This echoes comments from Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson, who had told Sportscar365 among others earlier in the year that Peugeot needs to get start getting results in WEC, otherwise the programme is at risk of being cancelled.
“It’s clear that we have done this to win, so now we need to show performance,” Jackson said to media at Spa-Franchorchamps.
“I am a businesswoman. I decided to put Peugeot in this championship for its fame. If we win, it is great for the brand’s image.
“The team is at the top in terms of efficiency. It’s a real team now, with the drivers in our third season. For the fans, for us, for the return on investment, to be honest, we need to win something. It’s time to deliver.
“We can’t continue in a sport like this for ten years without winning. It’s a significant investment. After three years, we need to have results.
“We redeveloped the car this year. At the beginning of the third season, fourth season, etc., we need to have results.
“We feel a sort of midfield being created in the rankings, with perhaps three teams dominating. And behind, it’s getting quite complicated.
“If we continue like this, six years, seven years without winning, what’s the reason for doing that? We are here to win, right?”
However, hearing that Peugeot is prepared to stay ‘until’ 2026 will at least put minds at rest over fears the French team would pull out of the series if the results don’t start coming.
Furthermore, Finot’s ‘fairly treated’ comment is, presumably, a thinly-veiled swipe at the ACO and FIA, who jointly control the regulations for the WEC. This includes the Balance of Performance distribution, which governs the weight and power of the cars for each race, plus the energy they can use per stint.
When Finot was asked to expand on his comments, a Peugeot spokesperson said the team cannot comment on BoP. This is because teams are not allowed to comment on BoP, as per the regulations.
That said, at Imola, the second race of the year and Peugeot’s first outing with the brand new 2024 version of the 9X8, Peugeot driver Stoffel Vandoorne was effusive in his views on the BoP the new car had been given, when speaking to The Racing Line.
“They haven't really got much data of the new car,” said the Belgian.
“So I think it's also hard for them to judge where to where to put us, but when you look at the numbers, we are the worst of everyone.”
Either way: everyone in the sport will be watching to see if Peugeot are able to climb their way up the grid in 2025, before the crunch year of 2026.
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