Peugeot Sport has confirmed new signing Nico Muller will be in the #94 Peugeot 9X8 for the FIA World Endurance championship’s 8 Hours of Bahrain, replacing James Rossiter.
Former Peugeot driver Rossiter has retired from professional racing in order to take up a new role as team principal for the Maserati Formula E team.
He was initially appointed to a race seat when former driver Kevin Magnussen left to pursue a Formula 1 drive with Haas earlier this year.
A former Audi factory driver in GT cars, Muller will race alongside his teammates in the #94 9X8, Loic Duval and Gustavo Menezes.
The 8 Hours of Bahrain, taking place next month, will be the longest race so far that Peugeot has campaigned its wingless Le Mans Hypercar in so far, after entering WEC mid-season at Monza earlier this year.
Muller said ahead of his race debut for Peugeot: “I’m so looking forward to making my debut in the PEUGEOT 9X8 in Bahrain. My first drive in the car at the team’s Monza test went very well. I quickly felt confident and was able to perform some long runs and try different tyre options.
“I tend to adapt easily,” he added. “I had a similar experience at Shanghai earlier in my career, in 2007, when I got just 10 laps in an LMP2 prototype before taking part in the race. Bahrain will be a chance to familiarise myself further with the 9X8, as will the simulator at the team’s headquarters in Satory [near Paris]. Simulators are such a precise and invaluable tool.”
