Peugeot ponders return

The French manufacturer, Peugeot, which won Le Mans in 1992 and ’93, is exploring ways to continue in top line motorsport after it pulls out of the World Rally Championship at the end of this season. The WTCC was believed to be its most likely target, but the idea of returning to Le Mans with an LMP1 prototype appears to be gaining momentum within the company.

Sources suggest that an evaluation of an LMP1 design to take on Audi’s successor to the all conquering R8 has already begun. One option is for the car to be powered by a diesel engine. Another scenario is that Peugeot could dovetail two programs. The prototype project would be masterminded from its Vélizy headquarters near Paris, while importer-backed teams, such as Peugeot Sport Engineering in Denmark, would take care of the World Touring Car Championship campaign.

Other possibilities include building a GT car, most likely a ground-up design in the mould of Maserati’s MC12, or an entry in the German based DTM touring car series. A decision on which path to follow could be made as early as the end of this month and by the end of spring at the latest. Outgoing Peugeot motorsport boss Corrado Provera refused to speculate on which path the car builder would follow. “I have nothing to say," he said. “Frédéric Saint-Geours [Peugeot’s managing director] has not even been given any proposals." Autosport Magazine