James Rossiter will drive the Peugeot 9X8 at Monza

On 8 February 2021, when Peugeot Sport unveiled its recruits, seven drivers were announced. Among them : James Rossiter. The 38 year old Briton has been successful everywhere he has been, both in single-seaters and in endurance racing, in the ALMS as well as in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in Super GT.

He has an excellent driving style and is also known for his tuning skills, which have benefited the BAR Honda and Force India teams in Formula 1. It is therefore not surprising that he has been in this role at DS Techeetah - in Formula E - since 2019. Assiduous and efficient, Stellantis Motorsport has decided to entrust him with the same mission for the 9X8, which will defend the interests of the sister brand in Endurance.

The fact remains that Kevin Magnussen's decision to desert to join the Haas F1 Team on March 9 has put Peugeot in a bind, forcing the troops of Jean-Marc Finot and Olivier Jansonnie - respectively director of Stellantis Motorsport and technical director of the 9X8 project - to start looking for a replacement for the Dane.

But not wishing to rush things, and presumably with the aim of validating the lessons learned in the simulator and in testing, the decision was taken to start the British driver on 10 July at the 6 Hours of Monza, the scene of the 9X8's first appearance in competition.

However, it would appear that Peugeot is still looking for a sixth driver for the first full season of its LMH in 2023.