[WEC] Peugeot Sport returning to WEC

[Aysedasi]

Yes, Albuquerque is another good shout, he's had a great season in the ELMS.

[S griffin]

I think Peugeot should be on the phone to those ASAP

[GingerPixel]

I think Grojean would struggle at the fast end of multi class racing. I know his crashiness has become a bit of a meme, but I still don't see him carving through traffic lap after lap without a lot of comings together.

[Aysedasi]

If I was a decision-maker at Peugeot, Grosjean wouldn't be top of my list.....

[CTD]

Grosjean, Button and Magnussen?

[canaglia]

Peugeot in late '00 used to hire a lot of former f1 drivers because don't having a proper driver program like audi did, basically needed of expert guys like villenueve, gene, klien, zonta, wurz etc... who could guarantee to be quick right away.
I think now is the same, but more than fast drivers, guess peugeot needs drivers already used to lmp and hybrid managment, that's why to me JEV, Da Costa, Lopez, Laurent and maybe De Vries as well are the best candidates of that list.
If I was peugeot would hire grosjean too... as truck driver maybe.

[Akrapovic]

Wouldn't be putting Lopez name in that really with the other names that are floating about.

[S griffin]

Why not? He’s proven very capable in different types of motorsport. I think Pechito would be a good one to consider

[gert]

There are a few names in the list that are doing Indycar (Pagenaud, Bourdais).
Not sure if Indycar and WEC can be easily combined, especially if Covid19, and quarantaining measures are still around.

Some others are doing Formula E. Not sure about the combination WEC-FE either. It has already had clashes in the past.

Duval is doing DTM (and LMS) and may be looking for something else. That seems a good option.

Getting ex-Toyota people? There's no problem with series clashes but are these the drivers you need? If Toyota drops tjhem, there is a reason for that ...

Grosjean? Well, he is French (or French enough) and Peugeot is a French manufacturer.


There will be pressure from inside to take on French drivers, I'm assumning at least half of the drivers will be French.
Even today it amazes me how important it seems to be for the French media to emphasise that this or that driver duo/trio is 100% French.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by gert

There will be pressure from inside to take on French drivers, I'm assumning at least half of the drivers will be French.
Even today it amazes me how important it seems to be for the French media to emphasise that this or that driver duo/trio is 100% French.

I think you are right. Certainly history suggests so.

Although I recall an article recently where they said it wasn’t a priority.
https://www.autosport.com/wec/news/1...rcar-test-plan

Originally Posted by Jean-Marc Finot

We know it will be very difficult to fight in the WEC, so we will focus on performance,

The priority is performance: if they are French good, but we will not choses drivers because of their nationality.

What do we recon. One full French car? One in each?

[gert]

Originally Posted by Adam43

I think you are right. Certainly history suggests so.

Although I recall an article recently where they said it wasn’t a priority.
https://www.autosport.com/wec/news/1...rcar-test-plan

What do we recon. One full French car? One in each?

The problem is not always the teams or the manufacturers, but the press, governement and public opinion.

Back in the Ligier times when Brundle/Blundell were the drivers: the question was always why those Brits were picked and not one of the equally talented Frenchies.

And that was a thing, not only for Ligier but also Larrousse.
Why this one and not Bernard, Comas, Lagorce, Boullion, Bouchut, Gounon. Lagorce. Clerico or Collard.

And later on, that became: why not Minassian, Sarrazin, Montagny, Pla, Lapierre?

Nothing makes the French media happier than a French team with a French engine and French drivers.

[gert]

Originally Posted by Adam43

What do we recon. One full French car? One in each?

I would think one French driver in each car, that way there's always a French driver in the winning car.

They did it like that in the Peugeot 905 years, but not always in the 908 era.

[Bobo79]

Originally Posted by gert

I would think one French driver in each car, that way there's always a French driver in the winning car.

They did it like that in the Peugeot 905 years, but not always in the 908 era.

Jenson Button would be a pretty handy addition, and he is interested in WEC. I imagine a short season would be appealing, too.

[S griffin]

I think Button would be another one to think about. Anyway watch him go in British GT this weekend

[deggis]

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...ula-e-program/

“The plan is to build a car for testing at the end of 2021.”

[Mal]

The main benefit in hiring ex F1 drivers and also Indycar drivers is the publicity comes with it - look how much was written shown in the mainstream press etc when Alonso was with Toyota - if he wasn't there none of those stories would have been placed beyond the specialist publications / websites etc

[Tique]

Originally Posted by deggis

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...ula-e-program/

“The plan is to build a car for testing at the end of 2021.”

Might be a good news for Jean Eric Vergne

[gert]

A list of 22 names on Endurance-Info that they think should/could/will be considered as drivers for the Peugeots

https://www.endurance-info.com/fr/qu...mans-hypercar/

Of course: lots and lots of French drivers:
* Bourdais
* Chatin
* Dumas
* Duval
* Grosjean
* Lapierre
* Laurent
* Makowiecki
* Nato
* Pagenaud
* Pla
* Vaxivière
* Vergne


others:
* Albuquerque
* da Costa
* Derani
* di Resta
* Mikkel Jensen
* Lopez
* Lotterer
* Marciello
* Nasr


No mention of Menezes on this list.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by GingerPixel

I think Grojean would struggle at the fast end of multi class racing. I know his crashiness has become a bit of a meme, but I still don't see him carving through traffic lap after lap without a lot of comings together.

He was pretty great in FIA-GT though. If memory serves me right, it was a GT1 Matech Ford GT that he drove.

EDIT: yes, my memory isn't hopeless after all!

[Akrapovic]

FIA-GT1 was a single class series.

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

FIA-GT1 was a single class series.

Le Mans 24h isn't

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

Le Mans 24h isn't

Er, exactly.....

[Pandamasque]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Er, exactly.....

5th in class with lots of mechanical problems. The other Ford (all-female crew) was even less lucky, burned down in the Porsche curves.

[Deleted]

While losing out to GT2 winners, the Ford GT1s did clinch GT1 1-3 at Spa 1000km though, against the YD Aston, LAA Corvette and two Saleens. That was way more impressive than in GT1WC where bop lottery + success ballast was just as bad as in GTE now so you couldn't read anything into results

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

5th in class with lots of mechanical problems. The other Ford (all-female crew) was even less lucky, burned down in the Porsche curves.

They retired at half distance.