Shifting Tides: How Peugeot's Victory at Le Mans Marked the End of Audi's Era
After more than a quarter of a century as the premier class of Le Mans and endurance racing, LMP1 has taken its final bow. Gary Watkins looks back at the defining moments in the history of the division
Porsche, Toyota and Audi created the finest of the breed with their hybrid LMP1 chargers, all of which triumphed at Le Mans. But now a new era beckons
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Taken from Motor Sport March 2021
Audi driver Tom Kristensen reckoned Peugeot had “given us a bit of a smacking” at the 2008 Sebring 12 Hours. Another victory a couple of months later at Spa confirmed the French manufacturer as the clear favourite for the Le Mans 24 Hours in the battle of the turbodiesels.
The Peugeot 908 HDi had again proved its supremacy over the ageing Audi R10 TDI at the Le Mans Test Day two weeks ahead of the race. The best of them, with Stéphane Sarrazin at the wheel, was more than four seconds up on the fastest of the German machines over the two sessions held in mixed conditions.