Peugeot will make their sports car return in the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2022, joining the HyperCar grid.
It was confirmed by the PSA Groupe that, due to the cost capping and use of hybrid engines in the new front-running class, enough factors the HyperCar class aligned with Peugeot and the PSA Groupe’s standards for them to approve the new racing project.
Their return will come ten years after they withdrew from sports car racing.
Collectively, Peugeot has raced in four seasons of sports car racing: 1991 and 1992 they raced in the World Sportscar Championship (which is now known as WEC), then after a break taking part in other race series they returned to sports car racing for two years of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in 2010 and 2011. The manufacturer has claimed three 24 Hours of Le Mans victories during its racing career and will definitely be looking to add to that upon their return to the endurance series.
“I am very excited at the prospect of channelling the skills and passion of my team into this project.” PSA Motorsport Director Jean-Marc Finot said in the team’s announcement. “It is a new challenge and I know our experts will rise to it with another demonstration of their will to win with teams financed by the Group’s brands, fuelled by their long experience of topflight FIA championships and hunger for success.”
Peugeot Brand Director Jean-Philippe Imparato added: “The Peugeot brand’s passion for motorsport has always played a core role in achieving the many victories we have scored in our history.
“The changes that the FIA WEC is introducing fit now with the transition we are undergoing ourselves with the electrification of our range and the launch of high-performance products, developed in close association with PSA Motorsport and foreshadowed by the Concept 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered.”
Peugeot join Aston Martin and Toyota Gazoo Racing as the third manufacturer to sign up to the WEC’s new HyperCar class. With Peugeot coming in a year later than the other two competitors, it will be interesting to see if this is detrimental to the French manufacturer or if it gives them a chance to learn a bit about how the class will work before they hit the track.
One thing is for sure; there will be at least three different manufacturers on track come WEC’s second season with the HyperCars, and that already means there will be more competition at the front of the grid.