Despite some delays and stalls to their Hypercar project, Peugeot are still on track to make their competitive sports car racing return in 2022.
After the announcement earlier this week from the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and IMSA clarifying more details about the combined regulations for the LMDh class that is due to be introduced in 2022, the French manufacturer released a brief statement highlighting their intentions to return to racing. Deciding whether to build a LMH (FIA World Endurance Championship only eligible) or a LMDh (both IMSA and WEC eligible) has been one of the major hold ups of the project.
The decision was originally due to be made by the end of March, but at this moment it has still not been made.
“The whole staff has stood together and remained motivated, and research and development has been continuing at home thanks to means provided by the PSA Group.” Jean-Marc Finot, motorsport boss of Peugeot’s parent company Groupe PSA, said in the official statement. “It was essential to have joint rules on parameters such as weight, power and aerodynamic, and this has been achieved. We followed with great interest the evolution of LMDh regulations and convergence between its rules and those for LMH.
“We are satisfied with this ACO/IMSA/WEC announcement and especially with the confirmation of technical issues linked to the Balance of Performance, which will ensure a sporting equity between both categories.
“The last economic metrics should be soon available, so we will able to make a 100 percent comprehensive review. Peugeot will reveal, in due time, the category in which the brand will come back in endurance in 2022.”
With WEC recently giving up their winter series due to Coronavirus forcing them to reschedule the entire second half of the 2019/20 championship, the timeline for Peugeot entering IMSA or WEC is the same (beginning of 2022) and so will probably not have any bearing on the decision they come to.
