Peugeot TotalEnergies Suffers Crushing Disqualification in Qatar 1812km, WEC 2024 Opener
In a shocking turn of events, the Peugeot TotalEnergies #93 car has been disqualified from the Qatar 1812km, the opening round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The French team announced the reason behind the sudden loss of power in the final moments of the race, which left the car unable to return to the pits under its own steam.
According to Peugeot’s press release, the #93 Peugeot 9X8 ran out of fuel, forcing it to rely solely on hybrid electric power. Since the team failed to pit, the car was disqualified despite crossing the line in 7th place.
“It’s just unbelievable, to run out of fuel on the final lap, undoubtedly due to some issue during the last refuelling pit stop” he said, adding “It’s a hard one to take, as we really deserved to finish second today.”
Throughout the race, the #93 Peugeot of Mikkel Jensen, Jean-Eric Vergne, and Nico Müller put on an impressive display, even taking the lead on lap 16 and defending it until lap 54. The team remained competitive, staying within 30 seconds of the leading Porsche Penske Motorsport for most of the race.
However, disaster struck on lap 334 when Vergne slowed down due to a sudden loss of power, cruelly denying the #93 car a podium finish. The car limped across the line to finish 7th, but the subsequent disqualification was a devastating blow.
The disqualification is particularly tough to swallow, as it marked the final outing for the wingless Peugeot 9X8. The team will debut the 2024 version of the car at the upcoming 6 Hours of Imola. Having completed a distance of 30,970km in its life, to have a final podium denied in such cruel fashion is a bitter pill to swallow.
The potential of the car is evident, and Peugeot will be hoping that their rotten luck doesn’t follow them into the new year. The WEC 2024 calendar is set to be an exciting one, and Peugeot will be eager to bounce back from this setback.
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