Two sources at Peugeot Sport have denied that the French car manufacturer's withdrawal from the international motorsport scene and endurance racing is only temporary.
The news circulated on the web yesterday, claiming that “a spokesman for Automobiles Peugeot said that it was the company's intention to return to motorsport, most likely in the World Endurance Championship, possibly as early as 2013”.
Auto123.com contacted two sources in Paris Friday morning and both strongly denied the rumour.
“This rumour is unfounded,” told us the spokesperson of the endurance program of Peugeot.
“No, not at all. Peugeot will not return to endurance racing in the near future,” told us a veteran employee we called.
“We are now putting back together the 908s and the 908 Hybrid4 cars and we'll put them in the race bays here in Velizy. Peugeot Sport will focus on the RCZ programme from now on. That's it. A major meeting of the board will be held next month and after that we (the employees) will know what the company will offer us in terms of redeployment within the PSA group (Peugeot/Citroen). But one thing's sure: the endurance programme has been stopped and we are free to find new jobs within PSA or elsewhere,” he explained.
It is not clear what Peugeot intends to do with the 908 and Hybrid4 cars, but we have been told that they not not be raced by private teams in 2012.
The news circulated on the web yesterday, claiming that “a spokesman for Automobiles Peugeot said that it was the company's intention to return to motorsport, most likely in the World Endurance Championship, possibly as early as 2013”.
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| Peugeot Sport in Velizy, France. (Photo: Peugeot Sport) |
Auto123.com contacted two sources in Paris Friday morning and both strongly denied the rumour.
“This rumour is unfounded,” told us the spokesperson of the endurance program of Peugeot.
“No, not at all. Peugeot will not return to endurance racing in the near future,” told us a veteran employee we called.
“We are now putting back together the 908s and the 908 Hybrid4 cars and we'll put them in the race bays here in Velizy. Peugeot Sport will focus on the RCZ programme from now on. That's it. A major meeting of the board will be held next month and after that we (the employees) will know what the company will offer us in terms of redeployment within the PSA group (Peugeot/Citroen). But one thing's sure: the endurance programme has been stopped and we are free to find new jobs within PSA or elsewhere,” he explained.
It is not clear what Peugeot intends to do with the 908 and Hybrid4 cars, but we have been told that they not not be raced by private teams in 2012.
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| Peugeot RCZ (Photo: Peugeot Sport) |