Olivier Jansonnie, technical director on the 9X8 programme at Peugeot Sport, described the third place for Mikkel Jensen, Paul di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne in Sunday’s Monza 6 Hours as “fairly logical and properly deserved”.
He defined that it adopted the rise in competitiveness of a automotive that has struggled since its debut on the corresponding WEC race final yr. The year-on-year enchancment was already evident in apply and qualifying at Monza.
“It’s enormous as a result of we now have been racing for one yr now and we now have had lots of disappointment for the reason that starting of the programme,” he stated.
“I stated earlier within the week {that a} podium was attainable and it has develop into actual: it’s a massive factor for the crew for certain.
“It provides an additional increase to the crew and reveals that we’re bettering,” stated Jansonnie.
“We have now seen for the reason that starting of the weekend that we now have far more tempo than the primary races. We knew from free apply that our stints within the race can be fairly good.
“We additionally knew that to attain this outcome we needed to do an virtually excellent race, and that’s what we did.”
Jansonnie conceded that the third-placed 9X8 misplaced some competitiveness within the latter phases of the race on the best way to ending 1m18s down on the successful Toyota, however he defined that it was too early to say why, previous to an intensive evaluation.
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Paul Di Resta, Mikkel Jensen, Jean-Eric Vergne
Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Images
“The temperatures went up, however the monitor bought some extra grip as properly, and the lap instances got here down,” he defined.
“At this stage, we have been a bit much less aggressive.
“We nonetheless must work on the pace of the automotive, however the variations are very small now.”
Jansonnie had referred to as the Le Mans 24 Hours “a turning level” within the programme after Peugeot led the race and ran within the prime three for a protracted interval by means of the night time.
He additionally pressured the significance of returning to a monitor for a second time at Monza final weekend.
“Set-up sensible I might not say we’re sorted since you are by no means sorted. However we’re not as far-off as once we arrived right here final yr,” he stated.
The Stability of Efficiency additionally performed an element, Jansonnie intimated with out utilizing the time period BoP, as a result of “we’re working at a unique energy”.
That could be a reference to the 4kW or 5.3bhp increase in maximum power allowed to the 9X8 underneath the brand new BoP launched within the run-up to Monza.
Jansonnie believes that the second Peugeot might have fought for a podium end however for a 17-minute delay within the pits with gear-selection issues.
A brand new hydraulic gear-shift activator was launched on the 9X8 on the Portimao race in April.
This element was changed throughout the pitstop, however Jansonnie declined to enter element about the issue.