After Sébastien Loeb’s encouraging second place in Belgium, the Peugeot team is looking forward to the upcoming round in Great Britain where Lydden Hill will host round four of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship on May 28-29.
After a podium finish at round three at Circuit Jules Tacheny in Belgium, Team Peugeot-Hansen hopes to keep the momentum going at Lydden Hill. The Franco-Swedish operation is currently third in the Teams’ standings and is targeting its first victory of the season in its bid to move further up the provisional leaderboard. “I like Lydden Hill", said team principal Kenneth Hansen, "It’s one of the calendar’s faster circuits where you can really make the most of the potential of a car like the PEUGEOT 208 WRX. I know it’s a venue that suits Timmy, Davy and Kevin, and I am certain that Sébastien will lose no time adapting given his experience of racing on asphalt. We will need to adapt our strategy to the fact that the Joker Lap veers off at Turn 1. We are determined to up our game a notch and our intention is to fight for the win. We have shown recently that we have the speed to achieve that goal.”
Lydden Hill, Kent, is known as the home of rallycross and pilot of the #9 Peugeot supercar, Sebastien Loeb, is looking forward to his first race at this historic site.
“After finishing on the podium in Mettet", Loeb said, "I couldn’t be more fired up ahead of Lydden Hill. The aim is to continue being competitive and up there battling with the leading pack, despite the fact that Lydden Hill is unknown territory for me. I saw in Belgium how a good start position can make a huge difference and how your weekend can tip one way or the other very quickly. I hope Lydden Hill goes well from that point of view.”
Loeb's teammate Timmy Hansen is also hoping for a good outcome. “The early races have been pretty hard for me", said Hansen, "so I hope Lydden Hill will mark the start of a more positive spiral. I know we have the speed for that to happen and this is one of my favourite circuits. I always enjoy its sweeping corners and the flowing rhythm it calls for. For me, Turn 1 is one of the most interesting corners of the season. It’s on gravel, with a brief portion of asphalt. I love it. It’s a track that suits both the PEUGEOT 208 WRX and my driving style, and I’ve got some fond memories of my previous visits. It’s here that I competed for the first time as a full-time rallycross driver. I finished on the podium and I’m hoping history will repeat itself this time round!”
Along with Team Peugeot Hansen’s two supercars, Peugeot Hansen Academy will also have two PEUGEOT 208 WRXs at the event. Davy Jeanney will pilot the #17 car. Jeanney will be contesting 10 world championship rounds this season, while Kevin Hansen will continue to gain experience in the #71 car at world championship level in addition to his campaign in the European Rallycross Championship which he currently tops.
Information Source: Peugeot Sport Communications
Photo Credit: Peugeot Sport Communication