Fitted with hard-compound tires on a track exceeding 40°C, both PEUGEOT 9X8 cars started the 8 Hours of Bahrain from the second row of the grid after a convincing qualifying session.
Loïc Duval (#94) and Paul Di Resta (#93) kept the PEUGEOT 9X8 #94 and #93 in the Top 5 after an exhausting double stint in the Sakhir heat before handing over to teammates Jean-Éric Vergne, who will lead the PEUGEOT Hypercar’s development in 2026, and Théo Pourchaire, making his racing debut at the wheel of the PEUGEOT 9X8.
Team Peugeot TotalEnergies then chose to anticipate pit stops for both cars in order to offset their race strategies. Now on medium tires, the PEUGEOT 9X8s ran under the radar in the Bahraini night, their positions fluctuating as other Hypercars completed their stops.
After a solid double stint, Théo Pourchaire had the honor of leading the race for two laps before handing the #94 to Malthe Jakobsen for a triple stint. Paul Di Resta took the wheel of the #93 again for a second double stint (127 laps, 687 km in total!) before being replaced by Mikkel Jensen for his final run in the PEUGEOT 9X8.
Penalized by a Virtual Safety Car and a Safety Car less than an hour before the finish, the Danish drivers fought until the final seconds to bring both PEUGEOT 9X8s into the Top 10. Mikkel Jensen crossed the line in ninth place, two seconds ahead of his compatriot, who finished tenth.
“It was a rather disappointing race, especially after placing both cars on the second row of the grid. We had opted for split strategies and could have hoped for a Top 5. Unfortunately, our rivals took advantage of the Safety Cars to get a ‘free’ pit stop, and we lost about four positions,” summarized Jean-Marc Finot, Senior VP of Stellantis Motorsport. “That doesn’t take away from the performance of the cars and the whole team. The potential is definitely there, and we can’t wait to show it in 2026. I want to thank the Peugeot brand and the entire Team Peugeot TotalEnergies for their hard work throughout the season.”
After 72 hours of racing, two podiums, ten Top 10 finishes, ten Hyperpoles, 12,870 km covered in races by the #93 and 12,575 km by the #94, Peugeot has made steady progress and gained competitiveness.
Next up: the final tests of the season, with Nick Cassidy, Mathias Beche, Alex Quinn, and Malthe Jakobsen at the wheel of the two PEUGEOT Hypercars.
Team Peugeot TotalEnergies wishes to thank all its partners for their support throughout the year.
Olivier Jansonnie (Technical Director, Peugeot Sport)
“A very tough race for us, even though we had the pace to achieve a better result. We tried to offset our strategies to optimize tire use toward the end, but the two Safety Cars came at the worst possible moment and dropped us off the lead lap. After that, it was impossible to climb back up the order.”
Paul Di Resta (PEUGEOT 9X8 #93)
“A rather disappointing race. It’s a shame because we were well placed at the start and had a strong run going since São Paulo. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out today. Still, it’s been a positive season, and we’ll keep pushing for 2026.”
Théo Pourchaire (PEUGEOT 9X8 #94)
“My main goal was to learn and gain experience for next season. Of course, I’m a bit disappointed with the final result, but we were unlucky with the last Safety Car — it came just after our pit stop. Still, our early race pace was promising, and we know there’s real potential to go further. Now, all focus is on 2026.”
