After making its competitive debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the new PEUGEOT 9X8 in July at Monza, Italy, the French outfit travels to Japan and the famous Fuji Speedway for a second six-hour showdown on September 11, with the #93 and #94 crews eager to continue their learning curve in racing conditions.
The 6 Hours of Fuji – Round 5 of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign and second appearance of the season for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies – poses an altogether different challenge to Monza in many ways – a consideration not lost on Olivier Jansonnie and his squad.
“For long-haul events like this, we need to adapt our procedures because we do not have the same regular facilities at our disposal – like motorhomes and trucks – as we do when we race in Europe,” he said.
The circuit and region’s unpredictable weather – with heavy and prolonged downpours likely – represent further unknowns for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies, although not for the whole team.
Some of its drivers have raced at Fuji in the past, including Jean-Éric Vergne and Gustavo Menezes, while Loïc Duval and James Rossiter spent a part of their careers in Japan.
The benefits of that experience will complement the data already acquired by the crews and their engineers from their work in the simulator as they endeavour to prepare as well as possible for the unique demands of this iconic Japanese track.
