The Peugeot TotalEnergies Team has made a strong impression in its debut season in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), as it took part in the first qualifying session of the 2023 campaign at Sebring International Raceway. The team, which competes with the innovative Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar, showed great improvements over its rivals and secured eighth and ninth places on the grid for the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Sebring International Raceway is one of North America's most iconic and challenging tracks, hosting endurance racing since 1950. The 3.741-mile circuit combines fast straights, tight corners, and bumpy surfaces that test the drivers and machines to their limits. The qualifying session took place at sunset, adding another element of difficulty and beauty to the spectacle.
The Peugeot TotalEnergies Team had a busy schedule leading up to qualifying. It participated in the prologue and three free practice sessions that allowed it to gather important data on the handling and performance of the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar. The team also had to adapt to the new Hypercar regulations that limit aerodynamic downforce and power output.
The team's drivers, Loïc DUVAL (#94), Mikkel JENSEN (#93), Kevin MAGNUSSEN (#92), Paul DI RESTA (#91), Jean-Éric VERGNE (#90), and Gustavo MENEZES (#89), demonstrated their skills and experience behind the wheel of their respective cars, as they pushed them to their maximum potential.
In qualifying, Duval was the fastest among his teammates, setting a lap time of 1:47.455 which put him eighth on the grid. The Frenchman was only 1.6 seconds behind pole-sitter Sébastien BUEMI from Toyota Gazoo Racing. JENSEN followed closely behind Duval, clocking a lap time of 1:48.205 that gave him ninth place on the grid. The Danish driver was only 0.2 seconds behind his nearest rival from Alpine Elf Matmut.
The team's other four cars did not take part in qualifying due to technical issues or strategic decisions, but they will start from tenth to thirteenth positions on the grid based on their best lap times from free practice.
The team's director Jean-Marc Finot expressed his satisfaction with the qualifying results: "We are thrilled with our performance today. We have made significant progress since our first test at Sebring last year, where we were more than six seconds off the pace. Thanks to our hard work and dedication, we have reduced this gap by more than four seconds. We have also shown that we can be competitive against some of the best teams and drivers in endurance racing."
Finot praised his drivers' efforts and professionalism: "They have done a fantastic job today. They have been consistent, fast, and reliable throughout all sessions. They have also given us valuable feedback on improving our car further for tomorrow's race."
The team's target for tomorrow's race will be to have no technical problems, improve its pace and reliability over long stints, and get the best possible result on this historic track.
You can follow all the action live on Peugeot Sport's social media channels, so you don't miss any moment of this thrilling race. @via Peugeot Sport.
