Peugeot Sport
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Jean Todt |
| Headquarters | Vélizy-Villacoublay , France |
| Products | Racing cars, motorsport engines |
| Parent | Peugeot |
Peugeot Sport serves as the motorsport branch of the French car manufacturer Peugeot.
Rally Origins
Established in 1981 under the name Peugeot Talbot Sport by former World Rally Championship co-driver Jean Todt, the team initiated its rally efforts with the Group B Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 during the 1984 season. Their inaugural victory came at Rally Finland, piloted by Ari Vatanen.
In 1985, drivers Vatanen and Timo Salonen dominated by winning seven out of twelve events, securing Peugeot’s debut manufacturers' championship while Salonen claimed the drivers' title. After Vatanen suffered an injury in Argentina, Juha Kankkunen joined in 1986, helping Peugeot secure a second straight manufacturers' crown. When Group B vehicles were banned by the FIA in 1987, Peugeot redirected its efforts toward rally raid competitions, achieving four consecutive victories at the Dakar Rally from 1987 through 1990 using the 205 and later the 405. The team also found success at Pikes Peak in the late 1980s and returned to this event in 2013 with the 208 T16.
Transition to Sportscar Racing
Operating out of Vélizy-Villacoublay, Peugeot Talbot Sport launched a sportscar racing program in 1988 with the development of the Peugeot 905, targeting competition in the World Sportscar Championship. The 905 made its debut late in the 1990 season and finished as runner-up overall in 1991.
In 1992, Peugeot claimed victories at both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Sportscar Championship, with drivers such as Derek Warwick, Yannick Dalmas, and Mark Blundell contributing to their success. Although there was no championship held in 1993, Peugeot dominated Le Mans with a clean sweep of the podium. Soon after these achievements, Peugeot Talbot Sport exited sportscar racing, coinciding with founder Jean Todt’s move to Scuderia Ferrari.
Involvement in Formula One
Peugeot entered Formula One by supplying a 3.5L V10 engine derived from their 905 project, initially partnering with McLaren. Despite securing eight podium finishes, they failed to achieve any wins and faced seventeen retirements due to reliability issues combined with insufficient factory backing. Consequently, McLaren switched to Mercedes-Benz engines in , becoming their official works team. Peugeot then provided engines to Jordan Grand Prix from to , earning five podiums; notably, Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello finished second and third respectively at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix.
In an effort to build a fully French team, Peugeot redirected support to Prost Grand Prix for –. However, changes in contract terms required Prost to pay for engines over three years instead of receiving them free across five seasons, which strained their finances and sponsorship deals. This partnership underachieved significantly, scoring only one point in 1998 compared to Jordan’s thirty-three points the previous season. Although there was modest improvement in 1999 with nine points and a podium finish at the 1999 European Grand Prix by Jarno Trulli, reliability problems and chassis shortcomings resulted in zero points during 2000. After participating in 115 Grands Prix and achieving just fourteen podiums, Peugeot withdrew from Formula One. CEO Frederic Saint-Geours declared in 2000 that a return to F1 was unlikely for Peugeot.
Following their exit, Peugeot’s engine designs were acquired by an Asian group led by ex-F1 designer Enrique Scalabroni under Asiatech. These engines powered Arrows Grand Prix International during 2001 and Minardi in 2002. The best performance came when Mark Webber finished fifth on his debut at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix. Despite being reliable and powerful, poor drivability led teams to replace Asiatech power units with more costly but better-performing Cosworth engines.
Touring car racing
Peugeot made its debut in the British Touring Car Championship in 1992, fielding the Peugeot 405 with former champion Robb Gravett behind the wheel. The team operated out of Peugeot's UK facility in Coventry, but despite showing potential, the 405 failed to secure a race victory throughout four seasons. In 1996, the model was succeeded by the Peugeot 406, though performance suffered due to limited technical collaboration among Peugeot's European divisions. The works contract was handed to Motor Sport Developments for the 1997 and 1998 seasons, yet success on track remained out of reach. Ultimately, escalating expenses prompted Peugeot to exit the BTCC after the 1998 campaign.
Laurent Aïello captured the 1997 Super Tourenwagen Cup championship driving a Peugeot 406. The Peugeot 306 GTi triumphed at the Spa 24 hours endurance race twice, in 1999 and again in 2000. Additionally, Peugeot dominated the Danish Touringcar Championship by securing five titles between 1999 and 2003 with both the Peugeot 306 and 307 models.
In the Asian Touring Car Series, Peugeot earned championship victories in 2000, 2001, and 2002 utilizing the 306 GTi. The brand entered three 406 Coupés into BTCC competition in 2001 aiming to rival Vauxhall Astra Coupés but struggled to be competitive. These underperforming 406 Coupés were replaced by the 307 in 2003; however, this change did not yield better results.
Since 2007, Peugeot has actively competed in Brazil’s Stock Car Brasil series, capturing titles in 2008, 2009, and again in 2011. Meanwhile, Peugeot Argentina has achieved championships within TC 2000 and its successor series Super TC 2000. In endurance racing, the Peugeot 208GTi achieved an impressive one-two-three finish at the renowned 24 Hours Nürburgring event in 2013.
Return to rallying
Peugeot Sport re-entered the World Rally Championship (WRC) arena in 1999 with the introduction of the Peugeot 206 WRC, under the leadership of director Corrado Provera. Early outings demonstrated promise as drivers including Marcus Grönholm secured podium placements; Grönholm went on to claim multiple victories during the 2000 season en route to winning his Drivers’ title. That same year, Peugeot claimed the Manufacturers’ championship.
In the following years, drivers such as Didier Auriol, Harri Rovanperä, and Richard Burns strengthened the squad. From 2000 through 2002, Peugeot dominated by winning three consecutive Manufacturers’ championships alongside numerous driver triumphs. Marlboro became the official title sponsor in 2003; despite strong efforts from Grönholm and Panizzi, Peugeot lost the manufacturers’ championship to Citroën.
The rollout of the Peugeot 307 WRC in 2004 encountered difficulties; Grönholm secured only one victory while Peugeot finished fourth overall among manufacturers. In 2005, new recruit Markko Märtin joined forces with Grönholm; however, after Märtin’s co-driver tragically passed away mid-season leading to Märtin’s withdrawal, Grönholm’s wins helped him finish third in driver standings and secured second place for Peugeot in manufacturers’ rankings. PSA Peugeot Citroën withdrew from WRC at the end of that year; unlike Citroën’s return in 2007, Peugeot did not make a comeback.
Peugeot Sport developed the Peugeot 207 S2000 tailored to Super 2000 regulations and competed via Kronos Racing within the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC). Drivers Enrique García-Ojeda, Nicolas Vouilloz, and Kris Meeke each won consecutive IRC championships from 2007 through 2009. This vehicle was later succeeded by the 208 T16, which raced under R5 regulations.
Resurgence in Sportscar Racing
Under the leadership of Michel Barge, Peugeot Sport made a comeback to sportscar competition in 2007 with the introduction of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, aiming to challenge Audi's dominance. The car debuted at the 2007 1000km of Monza, where drivers Marc Gené and Nicolas Minassian secured a win. At the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Stéphane Sarrazin earned pole position, and the #8 entry finished second behind Audi. Subsequently, Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy clinched the Le Mans Series championship for Peugeot.
During the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, Peugeot secured the top three starting positions on the grid but concluded the race in second, third, and fifth places. That year, they lost the Le Mans Series title to Audi, with Minassian and Gené ending as runners-up.
In early 2009, Olivier Quesnel took over as director of Peugeot Sport. At that year's 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sarrazin achieved his third straight pole position, and Peugeot celebrated its first Le Mans victory since 1993, with drivers David Brabham, Gené, and Alexander Wurz behind the wheel. The team’s only other Le Mans Series appearance was at Spa, which served as preparation.
Peugeot delivered a dominant 1–2 result at the 2010 12 Hours of Sebring, yet reliability setbacks at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans allowed Audi to claim all podium places.
At the 2011 12 Hours of Sebring, Oreca Racing’s older-spec Peugeot 908 HDi FAP triumphed over both factory Peugeots and Audi R15++ cars. The following 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans saw Peugeot narrowly miss out on victory by just 13 seconds after two Audi R18s were involved in crashes.
On 18 January 2012, citing falling vehicle sales and economic difficulties, Peugeot Sport announced its withdrawal from sportscar racing. However, they left open the possibility of returning after 2015 if financial conditions improved.
On 13 November 2019, Peugeot declared its intention to re-enter the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship in the newly established Hypercar category, marking an eleven-year hiatus. During the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares unveiled renderings of Peugeot’s upcoming Hypercar. By December 2020, Peugeot and Total introduced their Hybrid4 powertrain platform—evolved from their 2012 hybrid-spec Peugeot 908—in collaboration with Ligier for aerodynamic development.
On 8 February 2021, Peugeot announced its driver roster for the 2022 WEC season: Loic Duval, Jean-Éric Vergne, Mikkel Jensen, Gustavo Menezes, Paul Di Resta, and Kevin Magnussen, with James Rossiter as reserve. Following Magnussen’s commitment to Formula 1 with Haas, Rossiter was promoted to a full-time position. For the final round in 2022 and continuing into 2023, Rossiter was replaced by Nico Müller. Peugeot achieved its inaugural WEC podium at the 2023 6 Hours of Monza.
Reentry into Pikes Peak Hillclimb Racing
Building on prior successes by drivers such as Ari Vatanen and Bobby Unser during the late 1980s, Peugeot Sport collaborated with Sébastien Loeb to pursue triumph at the Pikes Peak Hillclimb.
In April 2013, Loeb conducted testing with the 208 T16 at Mont Ventoux. This lightweight machine, loosely derived from the production model 208, incorporated a rear wing inspired by the Peugeot 908 and was powered by a 3.2-litre twin-turbo V6 engine delivering . Engineered specifically for Pikes Peak's demands, it shattered the existing record on 30 June 2013 with a time of 8:13.878—surpassing the previous benchmark by more than ninety seconds.
Racecars
2024 [ [ Peugeot _308 # Second_generation_(T9; _2013) ] Peugeo t _308_TCR ] [ [ File :2024_TCR_World_Tour_at _El_Pinar_- _Afternoon_race _17 .jpg ] frameless ] [ [ TCR_Touring_Car # TCR ] TCR ]| Year | Model | Image | Racing Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | Peugeot EX3 | Vanderbilt Cup | |
| 1984 | Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 | Group B | |
| 1988 | Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 | Rally raid | |
| 1990 | Peugeot 905 | Group C1 | |
| 1992 | Peugeot 905B Evo | Group C1 | |
| 1995 | Peugeot 405 Signature | Super Touring | |
| 1996 | Peugeot 306 Maxi | Formula 2 Kit Car | |
| Peugeot 406 | Super Touring | ||
| 1998 | Peugeot 406 M.Y. 1998 | Super Touring | |
| 2000 | Peugeot 206 WRC | World Rally Car (WRC) | |
| 2001 | BTC-T Peugeot 406 Coupé | BTC Touring | |
| 2003 | BTC-T Peugeot 307 | BTC Touring | |
| 2004 | Peugeot 307 WRC | World Rally Car (WRC) | |
| 2007 | Peugeot 207 S2000 | Super 2000 | |
| Peugeot_908_HDi_FAP | LMP1 | ||
| 2011 | Peugeot_908 | LMP1 | |
| 2012 | Peugeot_208_R2 | Group R2 | |
| 2014 | Peugeot_208_T16 | Group R5 | |
| 2015 | Peugeot_2008_DKR | Group T1 | |
| 2017 | Peugeot_3008_DKR | Group T1.2 | |
| 2019 | Peugeot_308_Racing_Cup | [[TCR_Touring_Car#TCR]TCR] | |
| 2020 | Peugeot_208_Rally4 | Group_Rally4 | |
| 2022 | Peugeot_9X8 |
[ [Le_Mans_Hypercar#LMH_class]LMH] |
Formula One (1994–2000)
(key)
align=left | Jean Alesi| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Points | Constructors' Championship | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlboro McLaren Peugeot | McLaren MP4/9 | A6 3.5-liter V10 | BRA | PAC | SMR | MON | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | EUR | JPN | AUS | 42 | 4th place | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mika Häkkinen | style="background:#efcfff;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center Retired | style="background:#efcfff;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center Retired | style="background:#ffdf9f;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center 3rd | style="background:#efcfff;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center Retired | style="background:#efcfff;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center Retired | style="background:#efcfff;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center Retired | style="background:#efcfff;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center Retired | style="background:#ffdf9f;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center 3rd | style="background:#efcfff;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center Retired | style="background:#dfdfdf;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center 2nd | style="background:#ffdf9f;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center 3rd | style="background:#ffdf9f;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center 3rd | style="background:#ffdf9f;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center 3rd | style="background:#cfcfff;" colspan=1 rowspan=1 align=center 7th | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jordan Grand Prix#Total Jordan Peugeot Team Total Jordan Peugeot | rowspan="3"| Jordan 195 | rowspan="3"| A10, 3.0-liter V10 engine | BRA | ARG | SMR | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | EUR | PAC | JPN | AUS | 21 | 6th place | |||||||||||||||||||
| Prost Grand Prix#Gauloises Prost Peugeot Team Gauloises Prost Peugeot | rowspan="3"| Prost AP03 | rowspan="3"| A20, naturally aspirated, 3.0-liter V10 engine | 2000 Australian GP Results and Standings | 2000 Brazilian GP Results and Standings | 2000 San Marino GP Results and Standings | 2000 British GP Results and Standings | 2000 Spanish GP Results and Standings | 2000 European GP Results and Standings | 2000 Monaco GP Results and Standings | 2000 Canadian GP Results and Standings | 2000 French GP Results and Standings | 2000 Austrian GP Results and Standings | 2000 German GP Results and Standings | 2000 Hungarian GP Results and Standings | 2000 Belgian GP Results and Standings | 2000 Italian GP Results and Standings | 2000 United States GP Results and Standings | 2000 Japanese GP Results and Standings | 2000 Malaysian GP Results and Standings | 0 | NC | |||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | Retired | Retired | 10th | Retired | 9th | Retired | Retired | 14th | Retired | Retired | Retired | Retired | 12th | Retired | Retired | 11th |- |
World Sportscar Championship (1991–1992)
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup for Manufacturers (2010–2011)
| Year | Category | Team | Chassis Engine |
Tire | Car No. | Race Results | Points | Standing |
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FIA World Endurance Championship (2022–)
| Year | Category | Team | Chassis Engine |
Tire | Car No. | Race Outcomes | Points | Championship Rank |
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