P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Peugeot surprised by severity of WEC Balance of Performance hit
The French manufacturer, Peugeot, expressed surprise at the Balance of Performance (BoP) adjustments for their new Le Mans Hypercar, the 9X8 2024. The car will be 31kg heavier and have 10kW less power than its predecessor at the Qatar WEC season-opener. Peugeot’s technical director mentioned that they were not expecting such significant changes in weight and power. The team trusts the rule makers’ decision and believes they have done a good job evaluating the performance. The revised BoP is a result of the new car concept and adjustments made to the aerodynamics and tyre widths. Despite the challenges, the team acknowledges that they have a lot to learn and optimize with the new 9X8 2024. Peugeot drivers acknowledge that the new car needs further fine-tuning but see it as a significant step forward in performance compared to the previous version.
