“The main positive is we reached the finish”: How Le Mans left the Peugeot Lion questioning its future
- Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah
- 6 minutes ago
- 9 min read
How do you go from securing a milestone Spa pole position to starting from the back in your home race and finishing outside the top 10? Peugeot’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race once again did not turn out as they had hoped.
But how did it go wrong for them, and particularly when they were beaten by the younger Aston Martin Valkyrie and other Hypercar programmes, and by a one-off entry from Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR), who flew across the Atlantic for this race?
The Spa unmasking
Previously in Spa-Francorchamps, Peugeot caught the grid by surprise by securing pole position for their No.94 car with Malthe Jakobsen at the wheel. The French team was tipped as a solid contender for the overall win of the race.
Unfortunately, the team immediately lost the lead to the No.12 Cadillac of Will Stevens in the opening stages, while the No.93 sister car had to shuffle back and forth during the pit stop sequences.
The tragedy culminated when the No.94 car collided with the spinning No.79 Iron Lynx when Jakobsen was on cold tyres. The No.93 car came home in seventh with the fastest lap to rescue Peugeot’s first points of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship.
Spa revealed several critical problems they need to address before tackling Le Mans, particularly when it comes to traffic management, teamwork, and getting the tyres to temperature quickly.
Peugeot’s centenary Le Mans race crumbled before it even began
100 years ago, Peugeot had already taken on the challenge of Le Mans when it debuted in the then 24-hour Endurance Grand Prix. The factory team entered with two Peugeot 174S.
The Lion became a regular Le Mans competitor and took their first victory in 1993 with a historic 1–2–3 finish for the 905, and in 2009 with a 1–2 result for the 908 HDi FAP. Along the way, the team also collected several podium finishes.
Team principal Emmanuel Esnault revealed his thoughts on leading the team for the race: “Above all, it is a huge honour and a great responsibility to have been chosen by a manufacturer such as Peugeot to lead such a symbolic project.
“Being part of this special edition, marking the centenary of the brand’s first participation, gives even greater meaning to our commitment.
“It reflects a deep historical attachment to the values of endurance: self-improvement, the constant pursuit of performance and long-term ambition. At our level, we are the custodians of this heritage, with the desire to keep it alive and to project it into both the present and the future.”
The drivers were equally excited about another shot at Le Mans, particularly Nick Cassidy, who was entering his Le Mans race. Included in the Peugeot roster was Loïc Duval, who won the race in 2013 with Audi.
Both cars completed the testing sessions without any reliability issues reported. The testing session was particularly important for Cassidy to complete his 10 mandatory rookie laps to participate in the 24-hour race.
However, the 9X8 struggled to show a competitive pace during the free practice sessions. It led to a shocking double exit during qualifying. The team was left stranded with 16th and 18th on the grid, sandwiching last year’s winner, the No.83 AF Corse.
They were overshadowed by debutant Genesis Magma Racing, which already had both of their cars well within the top 10 during qualifying. According to their driver, André Lotterer, the team were surprised at their strong pace during qualifying.
Peugeot were clearly taken aback and provided a brief statement reflecting on the disappointment: “We’re deeply disappointed with today’s qualifying result, especially on home soil.
“Finishing where we did is not where we expect to be. That said, this team has proven its resilience time and again. We turn our focus to the race, determined to keep fighting and to make the most of every opportunity.”
The end of the qualifying gave the 9X8 an unwanted statistic: it has yet to advance to the Hyperpole in any edition. With the wingless concept in 2023, they missed out on the eight-car cut, a year where Porsche, BMW and Alpine were yet to enter the Hypercar class. Adding a rear wing did little to improve their pace in the following years.
Peugeot failed to turn up during the race
Peugeot then rolled to the grid already disheartened with their low qualifying spot. Right in front of the No.93 were the Toyota Racing cars, which, as we know — would go on to add their name to the history books the following day.
Neither 9X8 made a significant move up to the timing screens despite the relentless commitment of its drivers. The team executed long stints, with Jakobsen completing two quintuple stints.
The rear-end assembly change on the No.94 car and a drive-through penalty for the No.93 car did little to shake Peugeot’s assault. They were confident in their reliability, but ultimately forgot that speed is the name of the game.
The No.94 car crossed the line in 11th with the No.93 car behind it. There were no technical issues reported, but the lack of speed meant they finished outside the top 10.
In doing so, Peugeot managed to solve some of their problems from the preceding round while inadvertently adding another one.
No.94’s Duval immediately commented on how difficult the race was as soon as the qualifying session ended: “It was a difficult race, as expected after qualifying.
“We were lacking performance, so we did the best we could. Both cars made it to the finish without issues, and we scored some points. Well done to the whole team and my teammates for their efforts.”
No.93’s Stoffel Vandoorne admitted how difficult it was on the mental side, with their poor starting position further compromising their race: “It was a long and intense race, especially with multiple night stints.
“It wasn’t easy mentally, given our position, but we stayed united, focused and gave everything until the end.”
To add further insult to their injury, Toyota took home the victory in a spectacular fashion with a 1–3 finish, and BMW’s second place meant they had surpassed 9X8’s four podium finishes count. Not only had their German rival beaten them to the first Hypercar win, but also to the first podium at Le Mans.
Having Toyota secure a win from a modest position was a massive wake-up call for the entire Peugeot camp. The TR010 Hybrid had what the 9X8 does not — speed. An early puncture, a penalty and a technical issue were not enough to stop the Japanese outfit because speed was on their side.
Bitter French rival Alpine had both of their cars in the top 10, WTR and AF Corse also scored points under different challenging circumstances. Aston Martin also managed to bag a solid eighth-place finish.
Nicolas Lapierre, Sporting Director of Alpine Endurance Team, claimed his side had made the most improvement in top speed compared to the previous year, despite conceding that the A424s were not able to contend with their rivals for most of the race.
BMW M Team WRT Team Principal Vincent Vosse was understandably over the moon about his side’s podium. The Belgian hailed the race as ‘one of the strongest races with the BMW M Hybrid V8.’
Cadillac’s No.12 JOTA car narrowly missed out on the podium, while WTR brought home a respectable ninth place at the finish, with driver Jordan Taylor adding that they learned a lot from 2025 and felt confident in fighting at the front.
While their newer rivals made significant progress, what Peugeot brought home were a mere six points to their Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship tally.
The psychology of the post-race fallout
The surprising statement of the weekend was not about 9X8’s lack of speed, but how quickly the management retreated to the safety of future planning.
Esnault said: “The main positive is that we reached the finish of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“The car proved reliable throughout, and the team executed a clean race without ever giving up. We leave with six championship points and a clear determination to improve.
“The result is not what we were aiming for — we lacked outright performance in qualifying, and that carried into the race. However, this edition provides valuable lessons as we continue to build towards 2027. The season is still long, and we will keep pushing to become more competitive”
Imagine reading that sentence 17 years ago, coming from Peugeot, an outfit that used to contest heated battles with Audi for podiums during the late 2000s era of Le Mans? It would shock sports car racing fans who witnessed their heyday.
Validating his boss’ comments, Cassidy also stated: “These 24 hours were extremely tough.
“The team was incredible — absolutely relentless and flawless operationally. It only strengthens our determination to come back stronger and fight for success next year. We’re already looking ahead to Le Mans 2027.”
Paul di Resta said: "It was a very demanding race, especially at the start with high track temperatures.
"The focus was on staying consistent, avoiding mistakes and making the most of every opportunity. The team stayed sharp throughout."
Théo Pourchaire was understandably disappointed: "We did what we could and gave everything.
"On my side, I left nothing on the table. On the final lap, I even set a pretty good time considering the track heat. It’s a disappointing result because we dream of winning this race, but we did our best.
"Thanks to the whole team. It was a dream for me to race in Hypercar, my second Le Mans, and hopefully not my last."
Jakobsen was more efficient in his words: "I completed two quintuple stints, so I spent a lot of time in the car, but I really enjoyed it. We maximised everything we had this weekend and managed to come away with some points."
But did you notice a pattern? Few within the programme appeared eager to talk about São Paulo. Instead, the focus has already shifted towards Le Mans 2027 — it is an unusual tone for a team with more than half of their season still left to run.
The tone of the statements risked creating the impression that Le Mans had become the sole reference for the programme. Five championship rounds remain, featuring the Lone Star Le Mans and Fuji, where they took 9X8’s first consecutive podium finishes last year.
In parallel, Ian James, Team Principal of Aston Martin Racing THOR Team, mentioned the staggering progress the team have made from their maiden season: "To get a car home in eighth is a big step forward for the programme.
"It just shows how much progress we are making with the car, every race. We knew it would be difficult for us to race against such strong opposition here at Le Mans, but we worked hard and executed on all levels."
Those words came from an opposition boss whose project is in its sophomore season. While Peugeot, already a seasoned platform, did not provide much of a statement about the upcoming rounds, or their progress, for that matter. This shows a mismatch in what the factory envisioned and what their drivers actually felt with the 9X8.
A much-needed summer break filled with questions
The summer break could not come quickly enough for Peugeot. With a mismatch in vision and the actual execution, Esnault needs to ensure he can regroup his men and women and stay the course.
Peugeot currently sit seventh in the manufacturers’ championship with 15 points, just ahead of Genesis’ six points. Ahead of them is Aston Martin with 26 points, a team that has scored points in every race of the season.
Another concern for Peugeot is that the management and the drivers did little to acknowledge how Le Mans was unacceptable for their standards, coupled with the fact that it was their home race. Their statement also would not alleviate fans’ concerns anytime soon.
Last year, Toyota’s team principal and driver, Kamui Kobayashi, openly criticised how it is ‘unacceptable’ to lose three times in a row to Ferrari in Le Mans. He also lambasted his team’s poor performance in Japan. Co-driver Mike Conway appeared on DIVEBOMB last year and assured fans, ‘Don’t give up on us’, and promised a return to the front soon.
Toyota were not afraid to publicly call out how frustrated they were during their 2025 slump — all while assuring fans they are working on a serious fix in the factory, leading to a ‘rewarding’ 1–2 finish in Bahrain to take second in the championship, despite having no podium appearances beforehand.
But it is not the end of the road for Peugeot, not even close. There are still five rounds available to make significant strides in the standings. The upcoming races are critical to boost confidence in the project, especially for the anxious board members and the fans.
Peugeot’s Le Mans race weekend told us that reliability without pace would only result in a “participation trophy”; you do not get the prize just because you compete.
Before the French team can seriously contend for the championship, they need to be transparent and accountable for their shortcomings and not introduce another problem after solving one, a recurring theme for their 9X8 since its debut.
It remains to be seen whether Esnault would be able to lead his team to mount a comeback in the second half of the season.
