24h Le Mans
The seven new drivers Peugeot Sport has just confirmed for the Hypercar class share their vision for the FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
"In 2008, when I did Le Mans for the first time, I became a massive fan of this race and endurance racing. I've was lucky enough to drive a Peugeot in Le Mans in 2010 and 2011. When I saw the news that Peugeot was coming back, I knew this was something I wanted to do be part of. The 24 Hours of Le Mans represents everything to me. I have always been a big fan of team sports. In singleeseater racing you never have this feeling of sharing with your teammate. Endurance racing ticks all the boxes of what I wanted in motorsport: the atmosphere, the emotion, the team spirit. Le Mans is a huge race, it's an iconic and a difficult one, the holy grail! In motorsport, there are few races that everyone knows: Monaco F1, the Indy 500, but Le Mans is the best of the best. Maybe this is because I'm French. But the challenge for the people and for the cars to be able to reach those high speeds with such consistency – this is amazing! And driving day and night is something extraordinary, too.
I remember being in Le Mans with the 908 in 2010. Two hours before the end of the race, we suffered a technical failure while on our way to a podium position. It really broke my heart and was difficult to swallow. On the other hand, that is where everything started for me. Together, we have unfinished business at Le Mans and it is the time to win the race together!"
"Peugeot has a good record at Le Mans. My ambition is to be successful and win it. It wasn’t a difficult decision to join Peugeot given their success in the past not only at Le Mans but also in motorsport in general. My dad has been racing at Le Mans for more than 20 years. I always followed the race and have been on-site myself quite a few times. It’s been a dream of mine to race it one day. I couldn’t imagine a better way to do it then with Peugeot."
"I am motivated by the history of Peugeot and its victories at Le Mans, and on the competitive side the ambition of Peugeot. The team will support each other and I am sure it will be a very good car, which is the most important when you compete to win Le Mans. Together with Peugeot I believe it will happen. Also the fact that I’m French, I think for the history it will be cool to have Peugeot, a French car manufacturer coming to Le Mans, and me as a French driver. I think it will be quite a magical feeling.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is something that I always knew I wanted to do. The first time I drove in a single-seater was at Le Mans. I remember being in the huge grandstand and feeling so small. It was quite a bit later on when I went to see my first race there. I remember being blown away and saying I want to win that race one day. Also it represents the incredible moments that you share with your team. Normally in single-seater championships, you’re fighting against your teammates and the other drivers. In endurance, it brings the drivers closer together throughout the season or during your career…who knows where we’re going to be in 10 years! But we shared a huge adventure and that experience bonds people together forever."
"I made my decision based on the history Peugeot has from when they last participated in endurance at Le Mans and their professionalism. Being involved and joining the team at such an early stage really excites me. I caught the endurance bug the past three years when I started in LMP2. It's all about teamwork! It is absolutely pushing people to the maximum. I think when you see the race you obviously see the 24 hours, but what you don’t appreciate is the week’s work that has gone into it. Everybody works up to this challenge for months, even years. I think the drivers have the easier side of it!"
"The Hypercar plan is very interesting and exciting. There are several manufacturers involved. Peugeot has great history and has already won Le Mans. I am very excited to be part of this programme and I can’t wait to get started. I think it's the top of motorsport. The 24 Hours of Le Mans race is THE event. It is something that everyone wants to be able to put on their prize list. It’s no secret that in Denmark, Tom Kristensen has made the race extremely popular. It is the only race besides Formula One that is broadcast on a free channel besides the news."
"I’ve always admired Peugeot’s tenacity to fight for victory across the board. To be honest I began watching endurance racing at the peak of Peugeot vs. Audi. So the moment I heard that the comeback was a reality, I knew I needed to find a way to connect with Peugeot and align our goals of overall victory. The 24 Hours of Le Mans represents the one word I live by, perseverance. Le Mans is more than a race, more than endurance, it is persistence, never giving up, a team becomes a family. And after weeks of grueling work, if everything goes perfectly and everyone stays motivated, then maybe you’ll come home with a victory!"
"Le Mans is the dream of every driver, but the chance to work with such a great brand and manufacturer only comes around once. I'm really looking forward to bringing all my experience to this project to fight for victory at Le Mans. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the ultimate test of man and machine. The levels of dedication needed from the full team to fight for victory is unrivaled. It represents the ultimate challenge in our sport."
