Peugeot Hypercar to make 2022 WEC debut at Monza

Peugeot has revealed its 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar will make its debut at the 6 Hours of Monza, as well as announcing Kevin Magnussen's replacement

Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar in testing

The Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar will make its debut at Monza this year

Peugeot

Peugeot has revealed that the 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar will make its race debut in July at the Six Hours of Monza.

The team has also confirmed the livery and final design of the rear wing-less car, which takes advantage of the design freedom offered by the World Endurance Championship’s (WEC) Hypercar regulations.

There were hopes that the 9X8 would race at Le Mans this year but Peugeot delayed the car’s entry into competition in order to continue development. The car’s fundamental design is frozen after its competitive debut, due to homologation rules.

Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar in testing

Car retains aerodynamic concept with no rear wing

Peugeot

Now though the French company feels ready, and has shown the car in the livery it will run in at Monza for the fifth round of this year’s WEC, joining Toyota and Glickenhaus in the Hypercar ranks. Next year it will also go up against Ferrari’s Hypercar effort, as well as LMDh cars from Porsche, Cadillac and BMW (if the latter runs at Le Mans).

Driving the car will be two-time Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne, 2013 Le Mans winner Loïc Duval, grand prix driver Paul Di Resta, Gustavo Menezes, Mikkel Jensen and James Rossiter, who replaces Kevin Magnussen, the Dane returning to Formula 1 with Haas for this season.

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Much was made of the car’s rear wing-less design when the first concept was revealed, and the aerodynamic concept of the Peugeot has stayed largely the same.

The 9X8 now features two rear winglets, and extended front splitter and rearranged headlights but otherwise remains relatively similar externally.

“With this regulation you are not limited by some shape of the car you have,” said VP of Stellantis motor sport Jean-Marc Finot. “As long as you’re in the window drag / downforce coefficient stipulated, you have more freedom of design, which is why we have done this.”

The car will have a hybrid twin-turbo, 2.6-litre V6 power unit – a 671bhp petrol engine will turn the rear wheels, with a 268bhp electric motor powering the front.

Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar in testing

Reserve driver James Rossiter joins the already-announced race line-up

Peugeot

“What’s really important is that the 9X8 and Peugeot Sport really encompasses the three values of Peugeot,” said Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson. “A fantastic, nonconventional, really bold design; emotion – there is nothing more exciting than racing and excellence. What better way to show the excellence quality of our engineering than being able to get through 24 hours endurance in extreme conditions? It all aligns perfectly.”

It appears Rossiter will get his chance at Monza to demonstrate whether he’s worthy of a full-time seat. Peugeot did not confirm whether he would be present in the line-up going forward from that race.