Reigning American Le Mans Series co-champion’s future still unclear in America, eyes limited-season ALMS and IndyCar programs...
The French manufacturer’s new turbo-diesel prototype ran for the first time last July, with development continuing through the remainder of the year. Simon Pagenaud, the reigning American Le Mans Series LMP co-champion who returns as a Peugeot factory driver in 2011, has been pleased with the progress made in testing thus far and the handling characteristics of the new 908.
“It has a little bit more mechanical front grip because of the [larger front tires], but the smaller engine makes the weight distribution much better than it was on the [old] 908,” Pagenaud told SPEED.com. “It’s a car that’s a lot more reactive and is very agile. The engine obviously has lots of power, but is limited due to the regulations. It’s a very efficient car, really.”
Peugeot, along with other leading LMP1 constructors, have designed their new-generation prototypes around the ACO’s revised regulations, which enforces smaller-displacement engines and new aerodynamic mandates. In the case of the French Lions, it’s resulted in a new 3.7-liter V8 turbo, estimated at producing around 150 less horsepower than its previous 5.5-liter V12 twin-turbo unit.
In addition to the ACO-mandated shark fin, another change for the new 908 comes with the adoption of the same-sized Michelin tires on all four corners of the car. Peugeot, along with diesel arch-rival Audi, have followed the lead of Acura, which debuted the same design on its ARX-02a in 2009.
While Pagenaud declined to compare the two cars handling characteristics, he admitted nearly all of Peugeot’s testing thus far has been done in low-downforce settings, as its main focus is again on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For the Frenchman, driving the 2011-spec 908 has taken a totally different approach over its predecessor.
“It’s more of a momentum car, just because you have less power,” Pagenaud explained. “So you need to go back on the power very early to make sure you’re not losing too much time down the straight. But the braking efficiency is a lot better than the [old] 908 was. You can actually now brake a lot later because of the [increased contact patch] from the tires.
“So you can actually go deeper in the corners, and because the weight distribution is better, you can go quicker in the corners, but you’re going to be slower on the straight. Right now, the lap times are quite a bit away from the 908. It’s going to be a lot slower at Le Mans as well, but it’s more of a LMP2 car indeed.”
Having first run the car in August, Pagenaud has seen a massive improvement through his half-dozen tests since. While Peugeot has focused primarily on long-distance simulations, he’s also helped with setup and development work, too.
“Peugeot has a very strong engine department, so it’s been amazing to see the rate of development,” Pagenaud said. “The way the power is delivered is much smoother than it was at the beginning. Everything is so much better. The chassis handling has improved a lot as well.
“But we’ve been mostly working on reliability because it’s what we’re concentrating on this year. It’s a new car, so you want to make sure you check all the boxes on your list and make sure that when you show up at Le Mans, you’re going to finish the race.”
While Pagenaud is only slated to compete in a 908 at the Spa-Francorchamps 1000km and 24 Hours of Le Mans, he’s also expected to continue extensive testing with the all-new prototype in the run-up to the twice-around-the-clock classic.
But that’s likely not the only program on the Frenchman’s radar, as Pagenaud hopes to return to the ALMS, in some capacity, but likely dependent on what Highcroft Racing is able to put together.
“I’m working very closely with Honda to see what’s happening on that front,” he said. “I hope Highcroft can make it happen and hope we can be on the grid. But if it’s not Highcroft, it would be somebody else. It looks like I’ll be at Sebring, but with which team, I don’t know yet.”
The Duncan Dayton-owned Highcroft squad spearheaded development of HPD’s new 2.8-liter V6 turbo, with Pagenaud handling testing duties of the new LMP2 engine through the winter months. Level 5 Motorsports, Strakka Racing and RML have all confirmed programs with the new low-cost powerplant, with only Level 5 expected for Sebring with a two-car effort.
For Pagenaud, though, questions still remain on where he’ll be racing in addition to his Peugeot commitments. With prospects of a partial season IndyCar program, he could join fellow Peugeot factory driver Sebastien Bourdais in the open-wheel ranks this year, but nothing has been confirmed.
“I think it’s very important to be there in 2011 to show that I can be ready for 2012,” Pagenaud said. “And also, make people realize that I can do the job. It’s just a matter of having the opportunity right now and just getting in. Once you put your foot in, it’s a lot easier. That’s what I need. I have a lot of people that believe in me and and I hope we can make it happen.”
While Pagenaud is only slated to compete in a 908 at the Spa-Francorchamps 1000km and 24 Hours of Le Mans, he’s also expected to continue extensive testing with the all-new prototype in the run-up to the twice-around-the-clock classic.
But that’s likely not the only program on the Frenchman’s radar, as Pagenaud hopes to return to the ALMS, in some capacity, but likely dependent on what Highcroft Racing is able to put together.
“I’m working very closely with Honda to see what’s happening on that front,” he said. “I hope Highcroft can make it happen and hope we can be on the grid. But if it’s not Highcroft, it would be somebody else. It looks like I’ll be at Sebring, but with which team, I don’t know yet.”
The Duncan Dayton-owned Highcroft squad spearheaded development of HPD’s new 2.8-liter V6 turbo, with Pagenaud handling testing duties of the new LMP2 engine through the winter months. Level 5 Motorsports, Strakka Racing and RML have all confirmed programs with the new low-cost powerplant, with only Level 5 expected for Sebring with a two-car effort.
For Pagenaud, though, questions still remain on where he’ll be racing in addition to his Peugeot commitments. With prospects of a partial season IndyCar program, he could join fellow Peugeot factory driver Sebastien Bourdais in the open-wheel ranks this year, but nothing has been confirmed.
“I think it’s very important to be there in 2011 to show that I can be ready for 2012,” Pagenaud said. “And also, make people realize that I can do the job. It’s just a matter of having the opportunity right now and just getting in. Once you put your foot in, it’s a lot easier. That’s what I need. I have a lot of people that believe in me and and I hope we can make it happen.”
Source: speedtv.com http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-pagenaud-pleased-with-new-peugeot-908
February 7, 2011
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