WEC - Official: Nico Müller in the Peugeot 9X8 in Bahrain

What we revealed on September 12 is now official : Nico Müller will take part in the 8 Hours of Bahrain (November 12), the final round of the 2022 WEC, in the #94 Peugeot 9X8. This is an opportunity for him to make his racing debut in the car this year and to gain experience before the 2023 season when the 9X8s will be expected to fight for the win.

To make this game of musical chairs official, Peugeot was keen to ensure that its latest recruit was able to drive its Hypercar beforehand in a test session, which was held at Monza (Italy), just after the Fuji 6 Hours.

"Nico impressed during his day in the car at our Monza test,” reports Olivier Jansonnie, the technical director. “He was calm, focused, and provided valuable feedback regarding the 9X8 that backed up the views of his new team-mates. He fitted in with the team easily and it’s now all-systems-go for his debut in Bahrain. I know I speak on behalf of everyone in the team when I salute all the great work James accomplished over the past year or so. He will stay on as our reserve driver and development driver on the simulator for a few more weeks before moving on to a new challenge for which he is ideally qualified.”

The 30-year-old Swiss, recently recruited by the Sochaux-based firm, will replace reserve driver James Rossiter, and will be supported by Frenchman Loïc Duval and American Gustavo Menezes.

"I’m so looking forward to making my debut in the 9X8 in Bahrain, Müller said. My first drive in the car at the team’s Monza test went very well. I quickly felt confident and was able to perform some long runs and try different tyre options. I tend to adapt easily. I had a similar experience at Shanghai earlier in my career, in 2007, when I got just 10 laps in an LMP2 prototype before taking part in the race. Bahrain will be a chance to familiarise myself further with the 9X8, as will the simulator at the team’s headquarters in Satory [near Paris]. Simulators are such a precise and invaluable tool.”

As was the case at Monza and Fuji, the #93 car will be driven by Jean-Eric Vergne, Paul di Resta and Mikkel Jensen.