Vandoorne expresses disappointment with the 14th and 15th place with the new 9X8.

Paul di Resta (GBR), Loic Duval (FRA) and Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL) competed for Peugeot TotalEnergies Peugeot 9X8 #94 in the FIA World Endurance Championship, Round 2, 6 Hours of Imola, held in Imola, Italy, on April 20, 2024. Vandoorne, a Peugeot driver, expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance in qualifying, stating that despite efforts to develop the new 9X8, it was disheartening to finish in 14th and 15th positions. He acknowledged the hard work done in testing and meetings to optimize the car’s performance but expressed frustration with the final result. Vandoorne qualified in 14th place with a time of 1:31.651, 1.455 seconds behind the leader, while his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne secured the 15th fastest time, less than a tenth of a second behind Vandoorne. Vandoorne highlighted the challenges faced with tire warm-up, especially on the medium tires, which proved to be a weakness compared to their competitors. He also mentioned that Peugeot’s ability to extract maximum performance from the tires is an area that needs improvement. Despite these setbacks, Vandoorne remained hopeful and believed that with more data from the next race, Peugeot would be better positioned for future events. He attributed the current difficulties to the fact that the car is new and to the inherent challenges of its weight and power compared to other competitors.