Olivier Jansonnie, technical director at Peugeot Sport, made the claim after the best of its 9X8s led the double-points round of the World Endurance Championship on four separate occasions and was running among the frontrunners until the 12th hour of the race.
“It was a turning point; it was our best race so far,” said Jansonnie. “We showed some race pace, and on some occasions here we were very good.
“All the work we have been doing for four years is finally paying off - we are pretty proud of that.
“Our level of preparation when we arrived was way better than for a six-hour race. That is an element that will be key for the preparation of the next races.”
The performance followed a series of disappointing displays in the opening three rounds of Peugeot's first full-season in the WEC after three exploratory races last year.
Jansonnie conceded that the 9X8 couldn’t match the Ferrari 499P or Toyota GR010 HYBRID LMHs that finished first and second in round four of the 2023 WEC, but pointed out “that we were really close at some points”.
Source: Autosport