Peugeot 9X8 - 6/12 : Will it be homologated without a rear wing?

Why did Peugeot opt for such a concept?

Since its launch in July 2021, the 9X8 has been the talk of the town. Because of its atypical look and especially because it does not have a rear wing. Humbly, the technical director Olivier Jansonnie admitted at the time: "The driving tests on different circuits, with different specificities, will have to validate this option, as well as the developments and adjustments that it requires". In other words, if the result is not conclusive, then we will have to review our copy.

But the first question is: Why such a concept? "We chose to make the car like this, respecting the aerodynamic criteria of the regulations - with a CZ coefficient of 4.2 - and opting for a 50-50 weight balance" explained Stellantis Motorsport director Jean-Marc Finot. "For reasons of stability, the aero centre and the centre of gravity must be nearly the same. The weight balance is 50-50, so we needed a similar aero balance, with half the aero at the front and half at the rear. Having achieved this only through the underfloor, we came to the conclusion that we didn't need a rear wing. For an LMDh, which is heavier from the rear, it must be more complicated because you have to put more downforce at the rear. When we started our calculations, we saw that it could work. And from a conceptual point of view, it's innovative and nice and it allows us to distinguish ourselves. Today, everyone is talking about the 'car without rear wing'." The results obtained in the wind tunnel and in simulation still had to be confirmed on the track - the only judge.

How do the drivers feel at the wheel?

For a driver used to single-seaters or LMP cars, not having a rear wing must be strange. So we asked Loïc Duval and Jean-Eric Vergne if they were nervous before going through the Signes curve for the first time behind the wheel of the 9X8. "You wonder how you're going to get into it " says Duval. "But the car is very well balanced and you quickly forget that you don't have a rear wing. It's more psychological than anything else. You realise that the aero charge has been recovered elsewhere and that it works very well." 

A feeling shared by his team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne: "The fact that we do not have a rear wing is more a topic for the media and the fans than for us. The Hypercar regulations impose a maximum aero load. After that, whether it comes from the rear wing or underfloor, for the drivers, that does not make any difference. Next chapter...

So, here we go like this?

"When the car was unveiled, some people said that it was only a concept car", said Loïc Duval. "And here you are, we have done quite a few days of testing and there is still no rear wing." The opposite would have been surprising, and a step backwards would have been difficult to justify after all the hullabaloo generated when the full scale model was revealed. However, according to its creator Olivier Jansonnie, it works! "We found nothing on the track to indicate that we had made a mistake" he told us. "So we're going to homologate it like that. Before homologation, it's always a bit of a rush, and we can't say that we've gone through everything we wanted to check, but we don't have any concerns with it, so we're going to keep this concept."

The other articles of this feature :

- 1/12 : Behind the scenes of the tests in Magny-Cours

- 2/12 : Interview with Jean-Marc Finot

- 3/12: Objective Monza!

- 4/12 : Jean-Eric Vergne (1/2): "There is plenty of room for improvement"

- 5/12 - Jean-Eric Vergne (2/2): "Winning Le Mans with this insane car"

The technical director of the 9X8 project confirmed that the car we saw was the definitive version, or nearly so, with the exception of the adjustment notches for the mobile aerodynamic element. The main difference compared to the scale 1 model presented in July 2021 are these small wings on the rear wheel arches, with a curious inclination, which can be seen on the picture published after the rollout in December. 

"They are not intended to increase the downforce," explained Jansonnie. "From now on, the competitors must prove via CFD and simulations that the car is stable at all times." That it does not fly away or roll over when it goes sideways or that the rear end collapses following a puncture or a suspension failure). "This is the main purpose of these small appendages that we had to graft onto the car". This is a new feature in the regulations that allows competitors to do without the unsightly shark's fin or the holes in the bodywork above the wheel arches. 

It is now 100% sure: Peugeot will go head to head with Toyota with its "car without rear wing". Hopefully, the French company will be able to translate its masterful marketing coup into convincing results on the track... even if the risk is calculated in a category governed by a Balance of Performance. But as Loïc Duval says: "If it is as fast as it is beautiful, then it will be a winning combination!"