Peugeot's Le Mans stars
French firm reveals an all-star line-up for 2008 Le Mans bid.
French giant Peugeot has unveiled a stellar driver line-up in a bid to win this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
After losing out to Audi in 2007, the squad aims to restore some national pride by entering an expanded three-car team that boasts a host of ex-Formula One racers.
This year’s line-up comprises 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, plus grand prix stars Christian Klien, Alex Wurz, Pedro Lamy, Franck Mon­tagny, Marc Gene and Ricardo Zonta. The final two places are taken by former Subaru works rally driver Stephane Sarrazin and ex-Formula 3000 racer Nicolas Minassian.
By signing such a strong line-up, Peugeot believes its diesel-powered 908 can break Audi’s stranglehold on the classic enduro. The German manufacturer has dominated for the past eight years, losing only once in 2003 to sister firm Bentley.
Peugeot Sport director Michel Barge is confident that his drivers can deliver. “We wanted our 2008 line-up to be strong,” he said. “Between them, our drivers have 393 grand prix starts under their belts, as well as 32 previous participations at Le Mans!”
To give the squad an even greater chance of winning, the Paris-based team has made some major overhauls to its 908 HDi. Work has been undertaken on the aerodynamics, steering, suspension and electronics.
There has also been a concerted effort to save weight in a bid to get the V12 diesel machine down to the 900kg class minimum.
Finally, the three cars will be given a completely new colour scheme to celebrate racing on home soil. Each 908 will have either red, white or blue highlights to reflect the nation’s flag.
The first qualifying session for Le Mans takes place on 11 June, with the race starting on 14 June.