Finishing in 11th and 12th place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a lackluster result for Peugeot: Team Principal Emmanuel Esnault and driver Paul di Resta explain what went wrong
11th and 12th place in the final standings of the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, no significant penalties during the race, both cars crossed the finish line. Emmanuel Esnault, team principal of the Peugeot factory team in the WEC, takes stock after the season’s highlight. The race strategy at Le Mans was sound for the “Lions,” but the pace was not. In the end, the result was lackluster.
Peugeot started the 24-hour race from 17th and 18th on the grid. “We didn’t have the means to compete,” says Esnault. Nevertheless, the drivers and crew delivered a clean race: A rear tire change cost the No. 93 9X8 1 minute and 40 seconds. Added to that was a drive-through penalty for Stoffel Vandoorne for failing to observe a yellow flag phase in the morning.
On the sister car, No. 94, the rear wheel hubs were replaced as a precaution in the morning after vibrations occurred—without the car having to pit. “The car was reliable,” Esnault emphasizes. That was it. “The penalties were very minor. Everyone approached the situation with the necessary humility and a cool head,” he says.
Finishing the race was the stated minimum goal. But Esnault also emphasizes that this cannot be a measure of success for a factory team: “Of course, that wasn’t the result we had expected.” The pace needed to compete for the top positions was lacking throughout the entire race.
The heat made tire pressure management even more difficult. Compared to the competition, Peugeot has completed proportionally fewer test kilometers with the current tires. It was a conscious decision to prioritize the test calendar differently. “As in previous years: good race execution, but not the speed you need,” says Esnault.
In the World Championship standings, Peugeot expects to earn six points for ninth and tenth place finishes—a modest but realistic return. Starting a 24-hour race from 16th and 18th on the grid and keeping the team motivated over the entire distance requires energy—even if the sporting goal is limited from the outset. “We’re not euphoric, but at least we feel like we’ve done the job,” said the Peugeot team principal.
Paul di Resta, who drove the 93 Peugeot, offered a similarly sober assessment. “The only word I can think of is: lonely,” said the Scot. They weren’t in a battle, he explained, but rather kept to themselves and secured a position based solely on their own reliability and the problems of others.
“You have to give the others credit. The cars they raced with showed significantly more performance than ours. We fought to keep up,” admits di Resta. He estimates the gap to the lead at around three seconds per lap—slightly more than in qualifying.
“We struggled with low grip and suffered from it more than the others.” They tried different strategic approaches, but the hoped-for developments during the race failed to materialize. “It’s a strange feeling. You gave it your all, but the race didn’t go the way you imagined. That’s frustrating,” said the Peugeot factory driver.
