Photo : - Peugeot Sport

Unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March, Peugeot's 908 HYbrid 4 had its first track test recently at Estoril on the 11th of October. After its shakedown in private testing in September, the 908 HYbrid4 underwent its first genuine track test. The car completed over 300km in the hands of Nicolas Minassian, Stéphane Sarrazin and Alex Wurz.

Peugeot Sport’s Technical Director Bruno Famin. ”The system functioned well and responded as predicted, which was very satisfying. At the same time, we started to make a few adjustments to the car’s basic set-up. It worked well, so that’s very positive... It will be interesting to see how the system performs at a different track. We have no intention of rushing things, however. We are still on a learning curve and the endurance testing will come later.” 

Peugeot's 908 HYbrid4 test programme will now continue with a second run soon at another circuit, as well as further bench testing. 

Nicolas Minassian: “I had the good fortune to drive the original demonstration hybrid car in 2008 and I am proud to have been the first person to drive the 908 HYbrid4. It’s extremely interesting to work on a project of this scale which no doubt paves the way for the future of motor racing. As a driver, it’s very rewarding to be in a position where you can learn and play a part in the development of new technologies.”

Stéphane Sarrazin: “We were able to work through the complete test programme, so that was fantastic. It was interesting to work with the engineers to identify the ideal compromises and, of course, get acquainted with the system, since the project is only in its early days. You can feel the extra power and it will be up to us to harness or adapt it in the most competitive way possible. We will need to strike the right balance. We’re looking at a lot of things and exploring several avenues. "

(Source: Peugeot Sport press information)

Photo : ESTORIL (PORTUGAL), PRIVATE TEST PEUGEOT SPORT, 11th OCT 2011.