Double Hypercar finish serves as consolation for Peugeot’s disappointing Le Mans race

Written by Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah, Edited by Aaron Carroll

A Peugeot 9X8 during the sunset phase of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans | Credit: Stellantis

At Le Mans, Peugeot was eager to show the home fans what they could do in endurance racing’s most prestigious event. However, their 24-hour struggle largely ended in disappointment. Consolation came as both of their Hypercars safely made it to the finish line, albeit empty-handed.

The end of the Hyperpole streak proved costly

Shortly before the Le Mans festivities commenced, the Balance of Performance (BoP) had made Peugeot’s 9X8 the second lightest Hypercar on the grid, just ahead of the debuting Aston Martin Valkyrie.

Even with the second-lightest car among its peers, it was not enough for either car to make it to Hyperpole. The French team was unable to continue their Hyperpole streak in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) after both cars could only manage 18th and 19th.

The No.94 car could only manage 18th in qualifying | Credit: Stellantis

Stoffel Vandoorne of the No.94 car said, “In terms of performance, it’s going to be tough. The WEC/Le Mans regulations are a bit different, and we’re struggling a bit more here this week.”

Naturally, both sides of the team would put their disappointing qualifying session behind them and focus on the 24-hour race, where anything can happen.

The first six hours

At the start of the race, both cars immediately started on the back foot. No.94’s Loïc Duval lost three places before gradually recovering to take 18th back. Meanwhile, Paul di Resta in No.93 gained one position.

The team’s wake-up call came when Di Resta was caught off guard by LMGT3 traffic at the Porsche Curves. The Briton ended up in the gravel, in an attempt to avoid the No.150 AF Corse. His car hit the barriers with considerable bodywork damage, and he had to return to the pits.

“That GT3 was right in the middle of the track at the Porsche Curves”, Di Resta said. “And to avoid it, I lost the rear… It’s my fault, but in our position, we have to take some risks.”

The No.94 car during its pit stop | Credit: Stellantis

After completing 29 laps on the medium compound, Di Resta handed over to Jean-Éric Vergne to recover their places. Vergne later handed over to Mikkel Jensen, who embarked on a massive triple stint that lasted more than three hours.

Things were looking nicer on the No.94 car, with Duval safely completing his double stint on the mediums and becoming a top 10 regular. Malthe Jakobsen took over and briefly led the race during the pit stop cycle. Vandoorne followed with a double stint.

Mixed midnight

The 13 laps per stint strategy was a good call for the No.94 car, as it consistently fought for places in the top 10. Unfortunately, their charge ended after contact with the No.35 Alpine at 22:00, sending them tumbling to 14th.

“Even if we’re somewhat isolated in the standings, we’re sticking to our race strategy”, Vandoorne said. “The No.94 is running well, no issues.”

The 9X8 during the night stages | Credit: Stellantis

The nightmares did not end for No.93. After massive bodywork changes during daylight, the car was plagued with a steering issue. The lengthy 12-minute repair came with a hefty price, as the car rejoined the race seven laps down from the leader. 

“It’s good to be done with the night. It wasn’t easy with such a long Safety Car period”, Jensen said. “We saved the tyres well with triple stints. Now we can focus on double stints until the finish. It’s been a tough race for No.93 with events just not going our way.”

A frustrating end

As the sun began to rise, it became apparent that the points finish was becoming out of reach. Ultimately, the No.94 car could only finish 12th, and the No.93 in 17th, eight laps down on the winning No.83 Ferrari.

While the race was frustrating and stressful, consolation came with both cars making it to the finish line.

Olivier Janssonie, the Technical Director of Peugeot Sport, said: “Team Peugeot TotalEnergies delivered an impressive performance with very few mistakes, unlike some of our rivals who were frequently penalized.”

“To achieve a respectable result here, we needed to be perfect. We were nearly perfect, from the engineers to the mechanics to the drivers. Kudos to everyone. The most important thing is to maintain this level of commitment. It will pay off when conditions improve.”

Vergne admitted he had already given his all and expressed his admiration for the crew: “A really tough Le Mans for us. The No.93 hit the tyre wall at the Porsche Curves while avoiding a GT3 car. The team did an amazing job replacing the bodywork, but we lost a lap.”

“Again, the crew did a great job, but we lost three or four more laps”, Vergne continued. “We gave it everything we had. It’s too soon to draw conclusions. The positive takeaway is that both cars finished, and it’s always a pleasure to drive on this circuit.”

This was Jakobsen’s first time driving a Hypercar at Le Mans. While running without needing repairs, the Dane hoped to have more pace in his No.94 9X8 to contend for points.

“We finished P12. Maybe not the result we had hoped for, but we can still be satisfied. The car made it to the finish [line] and we only had to refuel and change tyres.”

“Everyone did a fantastic job over the past 10 days here at Le Mans, and the pit stops were flawless. We just need more pace to be in contention for a better result”, Jakobsen concluded.