Motorsport

Peugeot diesel to make race debut

Look out Audi! Peugeot’s diesel stormer makes its race debut at Monza in Italy on Sunday

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Jonathan Gill

14th April 2007

Having now quit rallying, the manufacturer has set its sights firmly on emulating Audi by winning the Le Mans 24 Hours with an oil-burner – a record-breaking feat which the Germans achieved in 2006.

Since unveiling the 908 HDi FAP sports prototype in January, Peugeot has been working flat-out to ready itself for Le Mans in June. Six secret tests have taken place behind closed doors at race tracks around Europe, culminating in two days at Paul Ricard in southern France at the end of last month.

Now, as the next step in the team’s build-up, the outfit is set to contest the opening round of the Le Mans Endurance Series in Italy this weekend. Despite some technical problems, the 908 topped the time sheets against other teams at Ricard, and Peugeot Sport boss Michel Barge says that he is more than pleased with progress. “Overall, it was a positive couple of days for us,” he reported. “In total, we covered more than 1,000km. On top of that, we came away with the fastest time, which is encouraging.”

A pair of 908s are scheduled to make their debuts at Monza – the first of which is to be shared by ex-Formula One drivers Pedro Lamy and Stephane Sarrazin, and the second by Ferrari F1 tester Marc Gene and sports car ace Nicolas Minassian.

When the team finally reaches France’s Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, this quartet will be joined by former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve and multiple ChampCar title holder Sebastien Bourdais.

While the Peugeot breaks cover in Italy, Audi will continue its preparations for the twice-round-the-clock classic in the US. This weekend, the pioneering R10 TDI will be aiming to retain its unbeaten record on the streets of downtown Long Beach in California.