Team Peugeot TotalEnergies heads to Monza for the final round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, a six-hour race on Sunday 8 November. The Italian circuit is where the Peugeot 9X8 made its WEC debut in 2022 and scored its first podium a year later. The team says its target is a points finish, and the race will also be Malthe Jakobsen’s last outing with the squad.
Back where it all started
The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza holds a special place in the short history of the Peugeot 9X8. The Hypercar prototype made its FIA World Endurance Championship debut at the Italian venue in July 2022. Twelve months later, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies returned to Lombardy and took its first podium in the series.
The championship hasn’t raced at Monza since 2023, and the circuit has changed in the meantime. The 5.793 km (3.6-mile) track has been fully resurfaced and several kerbs have been modified.
A circuit built for speed
Monza’s long straights and heavy braking zones make it unlike any other track on the calendar. According to the team, top speeds come close to 320 km/h (199 mph), and average lap speeds go above 215 km/h (134 mph) in the dry. Peugeot believes the high-speed layout should suit the 9X8, and the team wants to end 2026 with a strong result.
Team Principal Emmanuel Esnault is cautious about expectations:
“Our objective this weekend will be to maximize the potential of our car, and our target is to finish in the points. We all know that nothing can ever be taken for granted given the level of competition in the championship! We are facing a very strong field, and the weather could well play a major role.”
Driver line-ups
Alex Quinn made an impressive debut with the team in Barcelona, according to Peugeot, and he stays in the #93 car alongside Nick Cassidy and Paul Di Resta. Di Resta was part of the line-up that finished on the podium at Monza in 2023.
“Monza has a very different profile from Barcelona, and I think it should suit us better,” Di Resta said. He added that the November date could bring changing conditions, which the team handled well at the last race in Spain.
The #94 car will be driven by Loïc Duval, Théo Pourchaire and Malthe Jakobsen. Duval was also with the team the last time the championship visited Monza.
Farewell to Malthe Jakobsen
The 6 Hours of Monza will be the 23-year-old Dane’s final race with Team Peugeot TotalEnergies. Jakobsen joined the team at the Rookie Test at the end of the 2022 season. He was named Junior Driver in 2023, became reserve driver the following year, and has raced the #94 car full-time for the past two seasons. On 8 May he took the 9X8’s first-ever pole position, at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Stellantis Motorsport Director Olivier Jansonnie said: “We are very proud of everything Malthe has achieved with us and of the progress he has made along the way. It has been a privilege to see him grow as a driver and as a member of the team.”
Jakobsen called the move to the top class “an unforgettable chapter” of his career:
“Racing in Monza this weekend with Team Peugeot TotalEnergies for the final time, is something special after four unbelievable years with this fantastic team.”
Weekend schedule
All times are local.
- Friday 6 November: Free Practice 1 at 10:30 and Free Practice 2 at 14:30 (both 90 minutes)
- Saturday 7 November: Free Practice 3 at 10:30; Hypercar qualifying at 15:00, followed by Hyperpole at 15:20
- Sunday 8 November: Race start at 11:00
The 6 Hours of Monza can be followed on FIAWEC+ or through each region’s WEC broadcasters.
Source: www.fiawec.com