Peugeot factory driver Loic Duval told MotorsportWeek.com that the new 9X8 is ‘a good step forward’, in the week leading up to the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, in Belgium.
“What we’ve learnt is the car is a good step forward. You compare the old car, feeling wise, the car is good. A bit closer compared to what I’m used to having in prototypes.
“Of course, if you compare to the Audi days… Anyway the cars are you know, heavier less downforce. So that’s that’s different. But it’s definitely a step forward. And I think that we, we gain performance for sure, but also consistency, uh, you know, for long runs.
Duval drives the #94 Peugeot 9X8 alongside Paul di Resta and Stoffel Vandoorne, although Vandoorne is not racing at his home race as he is prioritising his and DS Penske’s Formula E campaign, as the next round of the electric single seater world championship clashes with the WEC race.
The Frenchman formerly raced in the WEC with Audi, and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the German manufacturer in 2013, alongside Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish.
Well, I think it’s overall,” he said when asked by MotorsportWeek.com whether the step forward was in a specific area of the car.
“At the end, I know it looks similar, just with the rear wing, but a lot of things have been changed.
“And to be honest I think in terms of traction, it’s positive. In terms of straight line speed, it’s positive.
So there is like few areas, to be honest, also mechanical grip and stuff like that. So I think it’s definitely a good thing.
“Then in the other end. it’s just not because you change the the size of the tires, that you’re going to solve all the problems.
“Actually sometimes it brings new new headaches, you know, because there’s new things that you discover and then you have to turn around.
“But yeah for me it’s just pure pleasure, and definitely a step forward to drive the car and looking forward to drive the car in those conditions here in Spa, which is a track that gets closer to what we are looking for, for Le Mans, compared to Imola.”
Alongside the new 9X8 gaining a rear wing, the car’s wheel and tyre sizes were also overhauled. While the old car had 31-inch tyres on all four corners, the new 9X8 has 29-inch tyres at the front, and 34-inch tyres at the back.
“It’s always difficult to know, exactly,” said Duval when MototrsportWeek.com asked what they’re expecting from this weekend at Spa.
“I mean, at the end, If you take apart the the few issues we had on our car in Imola, and I think the the pace we saw from the from the 93, even us in the 94, when everything was running clean.
“For me, considering where we were and stuff like that, I think it was not too bad at all. Here we will see. Again there is some things that we cannot speak about and we will see where we end up,” concluded the 41 year old.
