Di Resta leads Peugeot Le Mans return 08 | 02 | 2021
BATHGATE’S PAUL DI RESTA will lead Peugeot’s return to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2022. The ex-Formula 1 racer forms part of a six-man line-up who will pilot Peugeot’s two new Le Mans Hypercars. Fellow Brit James Rossiter will serve as the team’s reserve and simulator driver. (Related: Paul di Resta wins Le Mans 24-Hours LMP2)
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to join Peugeot as a works racer and be part of the next era of sportscar racing with the new-generation of Hypercar,” the 34-year-old Scot, who won the LMP2 class at Le Mans last year with United Autosports, said.
“It’s really exciting to be involved right at the beginning of this project. With Peugeot’s history of endurance racing and competing at the front of the LMP1 field at Le Mans, it was all the motivation I needed to get onboard.”
Peugeot will return to the Le Mans 24-Hours and WEC in 2022 with a new 670bhp, four-wheel drive hypercar which uses a hybrid powertrain built around a 2.6-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine. (Related: Interview — Paul di Resta ready for Le Mans assault)
Di Resta raced in F1 for Force India from 2011 to 2013, and also spent several years either side of that stint racing for Mercedes in the German touring cars, lifting the DTM Championship in 2010 for the German carmaker.
The Scot will be joined by fellow former F1 racers Kevin Magnussen (Den) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Fra), as well as endurance veteran and Le Mans winner Loic Duval (Fra), plus young chargers Mikkel Jensen (Den) and Gustavo Menezes (USA) in the full-season squad. (Related: Di Resta bags LMP2 pole position at LM24)
Over the course of 2021, the six drivers and Rossiter will contribute actively to the new Hypercar’s development and work with Peugeot Sport staff as the programme develops ahead of the new 2022 WEC season, including the Le Mans 24-Hours. The first full test of the new Hypercar is scheduled for the end of this year.
“The quality of relationship between everybody involved is fundamental,” Jean-Marc Finot, Peugeot’s motorsport director, said. “Over and above their individual racing skills, the main criteria we took into account were the ties they have with each other, their mindset and their ability to work together to motivate the team and help to take it forward.”
Related: Paul di Resta bags first WEC win
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Jim McGill