Malthe Jakobsen put the #94 Peugeot 9X8 eighth on the grid for round four of the FIA World Endurance Championship, reaching Hyperpole just three tenths off pole. The sister #93 of Paul Di Resta will line up 13th. Team Peugeot TotalEnergies is bracing for a strategic race, with rain possible over the São Paulo weekend.

Peugeot has confirmed its grid positions for the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, the fourth round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship. Malthe Jakobsen qualified the #94 Peugeot 9X8 eighth, while Paul Di Resta’s #93 car will start from 13th in a closely matched Hypercar field.

A late push into Hyperpole

According to the team, both 9X8s ran a shared baseline setup through free practice as engineers worked through mechanical adjustments ahead of qualifying. At the wheel of the #94, Jakobsen quickly moved up among the frontrunners, improving from an opening lap of 1:24.257 to 1:23.598 to finish fifth in the qualifying session and earn a place in Hyperpole.

In the final Hyperpole session he set the fastest time in Sector 3 and lapped in 1:23.402, enough for eighth on the grid — just three tenths of a second off pole. Peugeot points to that margin as evidence of how tight the Hypercar class has become, where every tenth counts.

Di Resta gradually improved his times in the #93 but was unable to break into Hyperpole, leaving him 13th for the start.

What it means for the race

Endurance racing rarely rewards qualifying alone, and Peugeot says both cars are being prepared for a strategic six hours, with rain a possibility. A mixed grid position for the two 9X8s gives the team options on strategy across the race distance.

“The #94 fought its way into Hyperpole, while the #93, despite all the efforts from Paul, finished in 13th position. Tomorrow is race day and we are fully focused on it,” said Emmanuel Esnault, Team Principal of Team Peugeot TotalEnergies.

Jakobsen was satisfied with his session. “The objective for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies was to reach Hyperpole, and we managed to achieve that goal,” he said. “The competition is extremely tight; I think P6 was possible, but I did the best I could.”

Di Resta, contesting his first qualifying session of the season, called the result disappointing. “Some aspects were very positive, but we didn’t manage to put everything together,” he said. “We still have work to do ahead of tomorrow’s race.”

Grid at a glance

Facts: Peugeot 9X8 at São Paulo

  • Car #94 (Malthe Jakobsen): 8th on the grid, best lap 1:23.402
  • Car #93 (Paul Di Resta): 13th on the grid
  • Event: Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, round four of the 2026 FIA WEC
  • Class: Hypercar
  • Start: 11:30 local time on race day

The Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo gets under way at 11:30 local time.

Source: www.media.stellantis.com