Peugeot have struggled throughout their time in the World Endurance Championship since joining the Hypercar class in 2022.
The French manufacturer have been perfecting their 9X8 car since the middle of 2022, making its debut in the World Endurance Championship at the 6 Hours of Monza.
Peugeot’s issues have continued this season, and they are yet to score a podium this year. The 6 Hours of Fuji last time out may spark their season into life, as both cars scored points for the first time.
They narrowly missed out on the podium in Japan but took home fourth place with the No. 93 car, but some questions remain unanswered.
Stephen Kilbey explained on the ‘The Week in Sports Cars; podcast that Peugeot may have left Fuji in a good mood, but there is still work to be done.
Peugeot still have ‘a lot of question marks’ over their WEC team after Fuji
Peugeot have struggled to get on terms with Toyota and Porsche at the front of the field this season and haven’t consistently been on the podium recently.
The French manufacturer have only scored one podium finish since their 9X8 machine debuted in 2022, taking a podium at Monza last season with the No. 93 car.
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They have even taken a step backwards this year, particularly with the No. 94 car that retired from Lone Star Le Mans and only scored its first points at the 6 Hours of Fuji.
Kilbey explained that Peugeot won’t be fooled by their step up in performance in Japan, and they aren’t at the level of the top cars in the field.
He said: “It’s another programme that there’s lots of question marks over what’s the ceiling for it, they’ll have come away encouraged.
“I think they’re under no illusion. The job is not done and they’ve got loads of work to do and they still feel the need to upgrade the car but they’ll at least have left Fuji pretty happy with that.”
Peugeot will be looking to keep up the momentum at the 8 Hours of Bahrain in the WEC
Peugeot improved last time out at the Fuji Speedway and will be looking to make another step forward at the final round of the season, the 8 Hours of Bahrain.
The Bahrain International Circuit was a suitable venue for the team last season, as they scored points with both cars in eighth and ninth place.
They aren’t the only team in the series looking to improve, as Alpine are searching for improvements in the World Endurance Championship.
The abrasive surface in Bahrain will make tyre management very important over the race distance to maximise the results.