Peugeot have selected Theo Pourchaire and Clement Novalak to pilot their 9X8 at the FIA World Endurance Championship Rookie Test in Bahrain.
The annual Rookie Test has taken place since 2015 and is typically held one day after the final round of the season.
Round 8 of the 2024 WEC will conclude next month on 2 November with an eight-hour race, as the test will follow on the next day.
Pourchaire is well known for his single-seater career as the 2023 FIA Formula 2 champion and as a driver in selected IndyCar races this year.
Meanwhile Novalak, at 23-years-old, is two years older than Pourchaire and transitioned from Formula 2 to sportscar racing for 2024.
Olivier Jansonnie, technical director of Peugeot Sport, said: “For Team Peugeot TotalEnergies, these Rookie Tests in Bahrain bring a fresh perspective, even though reconditioning the cars after the race requires a lot of work from the entire team.
“It is always very motivating and rewarding to see young drivers arrive with wide eyes, discovering the team, the car, etc.”
“We selected two different profiles.
“Theo is single-seater oriented with an already impressive track record and is recognised as one of the single-seater hopefuls.
“Clement has more endurance experience with notable results in ELMS, particularly a 2nd place in LMP2 at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“His statistics in this discipline impressed us. I think it’s an interesting combination.
“They will be guided by Paul di Resta and Malthe Jakobsen, who also went through this process before being appointed full-time next season. It is always very interesting for us to get technical feedback from fresh perspectives.”
Pourchaire’s first taste of sportscars
Jakobsen took part in 2022 and 2023 during his role as a development and reserve driver as the Dane will make his WEC debut in Qatar next year on 28 February.
Pourchaire, the youngest winner in Formula 2 history, said: “I am very happy to be able to drive the 9X8 with Team Peugeot TotalEnergies in Bahrain.
“It will be a new experience for me as it will be the first time I drive an endurance car, a Hypercar.
“It’s almost a different sport for me, completely different from what I was used to in Formula 2, as a reserve F1 driver, or in IndyCar.
“I’m excited to discover the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship.
“I think it’s a dream for every driver to be able to race in this championship one day, especially with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is the greatest race in the world.
“Having this first experience in endurance racing is fantastic, and I’m looking forward to returning to Bahrain, a circuit I particularly love.
“It’s a great track with a very powerful car, and it’s an amazing opportunity.”
“It’s an important step in my transition from single-seaters to endurance racing,” added Novolak, who races in the European Le Mans Series and took second place in LMP2 at his Le Mans 24 Hours debut earlier this year.
“I couldn’t dream of a better team, given its incredible history in the discipline, to make my debut in the Hypercar category.
“I’m really looking forward to learning as much as possible from such an experienced team during what promises to be a very formative and enriching day for me.”
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