Team Peugeot TotalEnergies will be back on track after a well-deserved summer break. During the last race at Monza, the PEUGEOT 9X8 #93 stood on the third step of the podium, etching a new mark in Team Peugeot TotalEnergies history. The team will be committed to get such a result in front of its Japanese fans.
The 6 Hours of Fuji, penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, will take place on a notorious track at the bottom of the Mount Fuji. The 4.563km track is the shortest of the season, fast, with a 1.5km-long straight. The Fuji Speedway is also a favourite for the drivers thanks to its history and its atmosphere. The drivers of the #93 and #94 PEUGEOT 9X8 are certainly looking forward to it, especially some, as Loïc Duval, who has spent some time in Japan. Due to an injury, Nico Müller will miss out on the Japanese atmosphere as he will be replaced by Stoffel Vandoorne, Peugeot Sport reserve driver, at the wheel of the PEUGEOT 9X8 #94.
It will be the second outing of the PEUGEOT 9X8 in Japan. Last season, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies did its second race ever there and managed to get some positive feedback to continue their work on reliability. After the performances showed at Monza last July, the hopes and expectations are high for the 6 Hours of Fuji, 6th round of the FIA WEC, on the 9th and 10th September. Team Peugeot TotalEnergies is preparing more than ever to fight at the front of the grid.
Olivier Jansonnie – Peugeot Sport technical Director : “The goal for this race is to keep showing that we are able to fight for the first places and for podiums on a regular basis and with both our cars. Thus, we will have to have the same level of performance than in Monza for the last two races in Fuji and Bahrain. The Fuji Speedway is a track with tricky weather conditions, and we showed in the past that in this case we are doing quite well. It’s also a track that suited us in the past, last year we managed to move forward in terms of performance and reliability. Unfortunately, Nico won’t be able to race for this round and we wish him a speedy recovery. Stoffel Vandoorne has all our trust, and we know that he will be able to step in quickly and give his maximum. We are entering the last part of the season and our aim will be to be 100% reliable for the last two races and fight at the front with both our PEUGEOT 9X8. We will get ready as best as we can for these two races, trying to be consistent in our performance and race results.
Mikkel Jensen – #93: “It was a long summer break! I’m looking forward to being back in WEC and with the team at Fuji after a good race in Monza. We finally showed what we are capable of by scoring a podium. I’m excited to go to Fuji, the track itself is very different to others, likeable or not! There are tough and technical parts on the track, especially sector 3. The atmosphere and the fans are just amazing. Japanese motorsport is very different and that’s also why it’s super exciting that WEC comes across such different nations, cultures, fans… I want to continue where we left Monza, keep doing good practices, do the best we can and see what we can manage along the race but obviously the goal will be to get another podium.”
Loïc Duval – #94: “I’m excited to get back to racing. Summer break was a little bit too long for me so I’m really looking forward to going back to my second “home race” in Japan. Last year, in terms of performance, Fuji was positive. I’m looking forward to going back and to have the opportunity to fight at the front and hopefully fight for the first podium of the PEUGEOT #94, to carry on the momentum for PEUGEOT. I love Japan, I have been racing there for many years, I lived in Gotemba, next to the track so I feel at home. The weather is a great challenge in Fuji, I love the track as it gives a lot of opportunities to overtake, the racing is always fun. There are not a lot of corners but those there are vary immensely! slow, high speed, technical… Without forgetting the fans that are, I think, the best in the world, it’s always a pleasure to be able to race for them. This season was really challenging with some difficulties at the beginning fighting against great manufacturers but in the end, we improved a lot with good performances in Le Mans and Monza so we just want to carry on, to do even better for the end of the season.”