An aspiring motorsports journalist’s personal blog.
In a surprise announcement, the French automaker Peugeot pulled the plug on their factory effort for the 2012 World Endurance Championship.
The iconic Lions will be absent on the 2012 24 of LeMans grid and all other events held by the World Endurance Championship. In their official announcement the marque said “Peugeot prefers to concentrate its 2012 resources on its commercial performance” as a result of a “challenging economic environment in Europe.” The car maker also cited the launch of several new vehicles this year as another factor in their decision.
Interestingly, Peugeot factory driver Sebastien Bourdais announced a surprise move to a full-time IndyCar ride with Jay Penske’s Lotus-powered Dragon Racing team. Bourdais had a part-time effort with Dale Coyne Racing in 2011 while competing in all of Peugeot’s International LeMans events.
Bourdais will partner with former DTM and fellow Champ Car driver, Katherine Legge. Legge plans to drive a TrueCar sponsored entry. Bourdais’s sponsorship is still pending.
Sebastien Bourdais last drove full-time in America in '07 with Newman/Haas Racing in the championship-winning McDonald's car.
The switch to full-time in 2012 will mark the Frenchman’s return to full-time American open-wheel racing since 2007 when Bourdais won his fourth and final Champ Car championship driving for the now defunct Newman/Haas Racing team.
