Peugeot to come back even stronger for Le Mans 24 hours

In 2009 Peugeot took the ‘double’ at the Le Mans 24 Hours. In 2010 Peugeot was up against a redoubtable adversary. The decider, however, will be played out next year, promised Olivier Quesnel, Director of Peugeot Sport.

Buoyed up by their four consecutive ‘doubles’ and the work undertaken over the last year, Team Peugeot Total arrived relaxed, ready and determined to take up the challenge of the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.

During qualifying the superior performance of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP carried it to its fourth pole position in a row. In total Peugeot took the first four places on the starting grid (three works’ cars and an Oreca Peugeot).

On Saturday at 3 o’clock, when the race started, the 908s, headed by the No. 3 car, led for the first three hours. Unfortunately just before the three and a half hour point, a broken monocoque suspension mounting point eliminated the car of Sébastien Bourdais, Pedro Lamy and Simon Pagenaud.

The three remaining Peugeots then proceeded to continue to lead the race until nightfall when the No. 1 car of Anthony Davidson, Marc Gené and Alexander Wurz had to pit for the replacement of the starter motor-alternator-management system. This put the No. 2 car of Nicolas Minassian, Franck Montagny and Stéphane Sarrazin into the lead which they comfortably held. Then early on Sunday morning an engine issue developed putting them out of the race.

Team Peugeot Total then focused all their attention and hopes on to the No. 1 car, but two hours before the finish of the race the last factory Peugeot, which had been making rapid progress through the field and was pulling in the leaders, also went out with a broken engine.

Finally, the Peugeot Oreca retired for the same reason during the last hour of the race, after having posted the fastest race lap time. “Since its debut, the 908 HDi FAP has never before had such engine problems,” declares Bruno Famin, Technical Director of Peugeot Sport.

For Olivier Quesnel, Director of Peugeot Sport: “We started at a quick pace in the face of a very strong adversary. We were faster than them, but we weren’t as reliable. What counts is the final victory, not the top speed. We have had four consecutive ‘doubles’, and you know that can’t go on forever. Unfortunately our luck turned here. But we did everything we had to, to win.

We will analyse what went wrong. We have the right to be disappointed, but we will get to work, to come back even stronger in 2011. We did what we could, but we were beaten. Peugeot have human values, our continued presence doesn’t depend on sporting results. We have the support of all the major decision makers to push as hard as possible. We showed daring and we showed our values. It is a huge disappointment but we have an easy conscience.

Now we must make sure it doesn’t happen again. We lost the return match today, but we will play the decider next year.