ROLEX 6 HOURS OF SÃO PAULO: PEUGEOT 9X8 #94 QUALIFIES EIGHTH ON THE GRID

• Malthe Jakobsen qualified the PEUGEOT 9X8 #94 in eighth position for the start of the 6 Hours of São Paulo

• The PEUGEOT 9X8 #93, driven by Paul di Resta during qualifying, will start from 13th position

• Both PEUGEOT 9X8 cars are preparing for a strategic race, with rain potentially expected for the fourth round of the FIA WEC season

Throughout the Free Practice sessions, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies continued its preparation work by evaluating various mechanical adjustments to refine the setup of both cars. The #93 and #94 PEUGEOT 9X8s ran with a shared baseline setup ahead of qualifying and the race.

In a Hypercar class where the margins remain extremely tight, Malthe Jakobsen and Paul Di Resta’s objective was to place both PEUGEOT 9X8 cars in the best possible conditions for the qualifying session.

At the wheel of the #94, Malthe Jakobsen quickly established himself among the frontrunners. After setting a first flying lap in 1:24.257, Malthe Jakobsen continued to improve, lowering his best time to 1:23.598 and securing his place in Hyperpole by finishing fifth in the qualifying session.

During the final session, Malthe continued to push and set the fastest time in Sector 3. With a lap completed in 1:23.402, he placed the PEUGEOT 9X8 #94 eighth on the starting grid, just three tenths of a second away from pole position. Once again, this highlighted the extremely competitive nature of the Hypercar class, where every tenth of a second counts.

In the #93, Paul Di Resta progressively improved his lap times throughout the qualifying session. Despite pushing until the final lap, he was unable to secure a place in Hyperpole. The PEUGEOT 9X8 #93 will therefore start the 6 Hours of São Paulo from 13th position on the grid.

Following qualifying, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies now turns its focus towards the race. The start of the 6 Hours of São Paulo will take place tomorrow at 11:30 local time.

Emmanuel Esnault - Team Principal, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies

“We gave it our all in qualifying today in a Hypercar class that was once again extremely competitive. The #94 fought its way into Hyperpole, while the #93, despite all the efforts from Paul, finished in 13th position. Tomorrow is race day and we are fully focused on it. We remain determined and ready to take every opportunity.”

Paul Di Resta (PEUGEOT 9X8 #93)

“It was my first qualifying session of the season, so we don’t yet have the same level of preparation or the same level of confidence that comes with more laps. It is a disappointing result: some aspects were very positive, but we didn’t manage to put everything together. We still have work to do ahead of tomorrow’s race.”

Malthe Jakobsen (PEUGEOT 9X8 #94)

“I’m quite satisfied with my qualifying session. The objective for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies was to reach Hyperpole, and we managed to achieve that goal. The competition is extremely tight; I think P6 was possible, but I did the best I could. Thanks to the whole team, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

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