“The automotive I all the time felt was ‘my’ automotive, that I may all the time be fast in, was the primary Peugeot 908, the V12. I don’t know why, it simply clicked, like an extension of my physique. I might be fast on new tyres, {old} tyres, moist and dry.”
Anthony Davidson began 24 Formulation 1 races, drove the dominant Carlin-run Dallara F301 in British Formulation 3 and was World Endurance champion alongside Sebastien Buemi in Toyota’s TS040 HYBRID in 2014. However the automotive he picks as his favorite is the sports-prototype that actually launched his endurance racing profession, the Peugeot 908 HDi.
Davidson gained first trip with the turbodiesel on the 2010 Sebring 12 Hours. However like former Jaguar and Purple Bull F1 racer Christian Klien, who also picks out the 908 as his favourite car, Davidson was smitten lengthy earlier than that: “The primary laps I did with it have been at Paul Ricard and I fell in love with it immediately. It was such a special automotive to what I’d pushed.
“It was a pleasure to drive and it seemed super-cool. It didn’t sound one of the best, however even that was a part of the quirk. I by no means would have imagined driving a diesel racing automotive and that was the primary time I realised how shortly issues may change – since then we’ve had hybrids and electrical racing automobiles: what’s subsequent?”
Regardless of 4 wins with Peugeot (two with the V12 and two with its V8 successor), Davidson’s greatest reminiscence with the 908 comes from a race he didn’t win: the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Following an early delay due to an alternator failure, he, Alexander Wurz and Marc Gene placed on a restoration cost that included a quadruple stint on one set of Michelins from Davidson that Autosport described as “phenomenal”. Sadly, the Peugeot engines proved fragile and the 5.5-litre V12 failed with lower than three hours to go.
Davidson gained on his Peugeot debut at Sebring in 2010 alongside Wurz and Gene
Picture by: Drew Gibson / Motorsport Images
“We didn’t have as a lot information evaluation and as many debriefs as we do now, however we have been referred to as to the manufacturing facility afterwards,” remembers Davidson, who picks out Jenson Button as his favourite team-mate.
“I’d had a mega quadruple stint in the course of the evening. We seemed by way of all of the stats and lap occasions, and so they talked about the ‘spectacular stint Anthony did’ – it actually stood out and I assumed, ‘Folks have observed!’”
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He additionally thinks a victory was on in opposition to the Audi R15-plus TDIs that finally completed 1-2-3, regardless of the early lack of three laps: “We clawed again to the purpose the place the race predictor stated it was going to go right down to the wire.”
Outdoors of his racing profession, there may be one different machine that stands out to Davidson, who referred to as time in 2021.
“Essentially the most spectacular automotive, and I’ve solely finished a handful of laps in it at Austin, was the W12 Mercedes,” provides Davidson (who nonetheless conducts simulator duties for Mercedes) of the F1 automotive through which Lewis Hamilton virtually took an eighth world title in 2021. “You’ll be able to’t put it into phrases what a weapon that automotive is. I couldn’t get to the restrict, however I had an excellent go within the time I had.”
Davidson believes Peugeot nonetheless had an opportunity of victory at Le Mans in 2010 regardless of shedding three laps, such was its tempo
Picture by: Sutton Pictures