Reliability of the car is one thing (and Jansonnie is accepting of the fact that this is unlikely to be perfect from the outset), however it is teamwork that wins endurance races as much as the nuts and bolts of the car. One only needs to look at Toyota’s dramas in 2021, and the creative solution it took to secure the win, to show how even the best drilled outfit can be pushed to the limit.
In its last Le Mans era, Peugeot was often undone by operational hiccups and never quite had the measure of Audi which, in its pomp, was next to flawless. The 908 was quite often the faster car in those titanic battles, but whether it was due to corners cut in preparation (not proving engine part changes and testing for every unforeseen condition), or trip-ups in race team management, it lost out on at least two Le Mans races that it had the pace to win.
It is easy to think of Peugeot as an experienced endurance racing outfit, which it is as a manufacturer, but after it pulled out of the WEC in 2012 Peugeot Sport as an organisation was gutted and very few of the team that ran the 24 in 2011 remain. “It’s not just a new car, but a new team,” noted Jansonnie. “It is very important for us to prepare the team. We have some very talented people on the team, drivers, mechanics, the whole operations team is very good, but it is a fact we have never worked together and training a team to run a race is quite different to running a test.”
Jansonnie is acutely aware that it is as a team that Le Mans is won or lost and, come 2023, the competition will be much stiffer than in 2011, any pace advantages will be minimal and seven other hungry manufacturers will be vying for top honours. If Peugeot wants to secure a French triumph at the centenary of Le Mans next year, it needs to attain perfection in every aspect of its operation and Monza will mark the first volley in that battle.