WEC Season Preview: Peugeot
- Aaron Carroll
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
12th and 19th in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for Hypercar Drivers in 2025 wasn't the season the French marque wanted for their pair of 9X8's. They come into 2026 with hopes of much better, in what could prove to be a crucial year for the entire programme.
The No.93 and No.94 cars didn't start off the 2025 season too well, picking up small amounts of points here and there, but nothing to propel them into contention.
Brazil was their first showing of good consistency, with them finishing sixth and seventh place at the chequered flag. Back-to-back podiums for the brand in the US and Fuji was something of a rejuvenation for the team. They had another double points finish in Bahrain.
Despite the podiums, many considered those to come from a significant Balance of Performance advantage. Critics of the legitimacy of the results pointed to the Peugeot having a large advantage over the Ferrari 499P's in a straight line, which had been known to be quite slippery beforehand.
New year, new livery, new story?
In February, the team unveiled a revised livery for the new season. Drawing from the brands road car heritage, the black, red and white colours were the three colours originally available for the first 205 GTi back in 1984. The reveal also coincided with the launch of the new PEUGEOT E-208 GTi.
A stark difference from the previously green livery, many at Peugeot and parent company Stellantis will be hoping that the new colours can breathe some new life into the programme.
It's no secret now that rumours have been circulating about the future of the brand in the top class of endurance racing. Results will be needed from the car to put them on top of the pile, and ensure there is still backing for the WEC effort.
New and returning drivers
Paul Di Resta will return to the No.93 car, having completed the full season last year. Former DTM champion, Formula One driver for Force India and now an avid sportscar driver, the 39-year-old will be searching for his first taste of Hypercar success.
He'll be joined by another former F1 competitor, Stoffel Vandoorne. The Formula E and GP2 champion is another that brings a wealth of experience to the Peugeot crews.
The final driver in the line-up is a new signing for the French marque. Former Formula E runner-up and Super Formula and Super GT champion, Nick Cassidy finishes out a line-up full of trophies. The New Zealander is very new to prototype racing however, his first outings coming earlier this year in an LMP2 in the Asian Le Mans Series (AsLMS) and IMSA.
"Sharing the No.93 with Stoffel and Paul is a great opportunity to learn from very experienced drivers. My main objective will be to gain experience and give my best for the team from this very first race.” said Cassidy.
The No.94 car trades the experience found in the other car for youth. Malthe Jakobsen returns from last years No.93 line-up. The 22-year-old Dane has shown just how quick he can be over the last while, dominating the AsLMS LMP2 class this year, and a win at the 24 Hours of Daytona. The youngster comes into the WEC season with plenty of momentum.
He's joined by Frenchman, Théo Pourchaire. After winning the Formula 2 championship back in 2023, he spent a year in Indycar and Super Formula, before hopping into an LMP2 for the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) last year. He was also given the opportunity to get into the Peugeot 9X8 at the end of last year for one race, in preparation for this year.
The No.94 isn't without experience however, Loïc Duval will make up the final spot in the car. The 43-year-old Frenchman brings Le Mans and WEC championship winning experience to the car, having won both with Audi back in 2013. He has also been a part of the Peugeot Hypercar programme since day one, back in 2022.
Duval understands his role in the line-up perfectly. "In the No.94, the goal is to allow everyone to fully express themselves and, on my side, to bring my experience to support the team and manage more delicate situations, so that everyone can give 100% of their potential in the race.”
The philosophy of mixing experience and youth also extends to the development drivers. F1 Academy champion and current ELMS driver, Doriane Pin will support the sextet as a development driver, sharing the role with fellow ELMS driver Alex Quinn and veteran Jean-Éric Vergne.
Vergne, who previously drove for the French outfit since the Hypercar programme began, decided to step back from his full-time role here to focus on his increased commitments in Formula E this season.
An important test lies ahead
As has been said by many people over the last while now, 2026 could prove to be the most important year for the future of the programme.
The squad has started that with the appointment of Emmanuel Esnault as their new team principal.
“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to join Team Peugeot TotalEnergies," said Esnault, "This is a major and highly motivating project, with a manufacturer that is fully committed at the highest international level. I would like to especially thank Alain Favey, Jean-Marc Finot and Olivier Jansonnie for their vote of confidence. It is a great responsibility, and it is up to us to be worthy of it and meet the brand’s objectives.
"I am fully aware of the responsibility of this role, as well as the rich racing heritage Peugeot carries in endurance. There is tremendous potential in this project, and I am convinced that we have everything we need to do things right and progress together.”
Whilst the official pre-season test in Imola has not yet got underway, the team have been busy in Portugal at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The team say they completed a promising test at the circuit.
“The objective was to get familiar with the new Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance tyres, which we were discovering, while some of our competitors had already used them in races at Daytona and Sebring,” explained Esnault. “These tests were very positive, and we will still have the opportunity to run at the rescheduled Prologue on April 14 in Imola, just before the race weekend.”
"Starting at Imola is a challenge," he continued. "As it’s a demanding track where traffic management will be crucial. The level in Hypercar is extremely high. To be competitive, you have to be precise everywhere: in execution, in strategy, and in consistency. That’s where we want to take a step forward — and the results will follow.”
Esnault also stressed the importance of the drivers partaking in other series earlier this year, such as the AsLMS and IMSA, and the amount of simulator work each driver has done.
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