Making the Case - Hypercar Manufacturer Winners - Peugeot or Aston Martin
Welcome to Part V of our 2025 WEC Season Preview - the final write up before things start for real tomorrow morning.
The last two brands remaining on the grid - Peugeot and newcomers Aston Martin.
Peugeot and Peugeot TotalEnergies
Why They Can
As much as it pains to say it, Peugeot aren't in a position to contend for a world title, rather they have to start small and focus on securing podiums first - hell maybe even top-five finishes. Are the days numbered for the 9x8? It sure feels like it due to the lack of results on track and the financial tailspin that parent company Stellantis find themselves in. The No. 93 had a solid end to 2024 with a P4 finish at Fuji and a P3 gifted to them by Ferrari following their failed their post-race tech penalty at Bahrain. The sister car No. 94 had a brutal campaign with just four points scored via a P8 result at Fuji; otherwise it was finishing on average 14th in class. The Hypercar field is just too damn deep to envision Peugeot making any real run at what they'd hope to be a championship season, we'll just have to hope and pray for consistent results inside the top 10. If we can get those it'll fend off the hounds long enough to keep the 9x8 in existence.
Why They Can't
There are way more reasons why they can't than why they could. To reiterate, the Hypercar class is too deep with too many great teams, driver combos and cars for Peugeot to contend for something of substance as currently constituted. The 9x8 can run near the front for a lap or two before things fall apart, and the challenge in the sport of endurance racing (go figure) is remaining in the hunt lap after lap, hour after hour, and fighting through all of the issues that can spring up out of nowhere. Qualifying this morning was a great example of how up-and-down the 9x8 can be - the No. 93 earned its way into Hyperpole but ultimately clocked the 10th-best time of the group, +1.315 seconds behind the polesitter in the No. 51 Ferrari. That front-of-the-pack race pace that's needed to set the stage for all other cars to follow behind simply isn't there for the car, and coupled with shaky reliability and you get a car that can't realistically compete for a championship.
Aston Martin and the Heart of Racing
Why They Can
Pure vibes, that's how. No, the Valkyrie doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell to pull off a world title win in 2025 but frankly we don't give a damn. This season is all about getting this car right and understanding what it needs to run at its optimal ability as we trek across the globe, and all that we ask is that we don't experience any DNFs as greedy as that sounds. There's going to be the growing pains as was evident in the car's first qualifying experience when both the No. 007 and No. 009 failed to reach Hyperpole with #007 finishing +3.179 seconds off the top 10 and the #009 actually having been booted to the last spot on the grid after driver Marco Sorenson exceeded the pit lane speed BY 1 MILE PER HOUR. So yeah - it's a P16 start tomorrow for 007 and P18 for 009. Again, no big deal, we don't mind just stay on track and log lap times that's all we ask.
Why They Can't
We don't care - the car is awesome, the V12 is a goddamn'd beauty and there will be no slander towards the Valkyrie on this website at this point or at any point moving forward.
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