Lone Star Le Mans: Team Peugeot TotalEnergies Heads to Texas with Future Full-Time Driver Nick Cassidy

•            Texas, also known as the Lone Star State, will host the sixth round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship at the Circuit of The Americas (USA).

•            After missing the Brazil round, Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne return to the wheel of the PEUGEOT 9X8 #93 and #94.

•            Nick Cassidy (31), who will officially join Team Peugeot TotalEnergies as a full-time driver for the 2026 season, will get his first taste of the PEUGEOT 9X8 in a test session organized in Austin after the race.

Before the summer break, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies achieved its best overall result of the FIA World Endurance Championship so far this season (P6 and P7) at the Interlagos circuit, where the PEUGEOT 9X8 #93 also crossed the 10,000 km milestone raced this season, with an average speed of 181 km/h.

The French squad aims to maintain this positive momentum in Texas, at the Circuit of The Americas (5.513 km, counterclockwise), which hosts the North American round of the world championship.
“Despite resurfacing work done before the 2024 race, the track remains bumpy, which complicates setup choices,” explains Olivier Jansonnie, Technical Director of Peugeot Sport.
“We will be particularly attentive to the weather conditions during the event. Indeed, the ambient temperature can be a real physical challenge for our drivers, not to mention the impact of track temperature on tyre choice. It is likely that teams will favor, at least partially, the Medium tyres to optimize performance, but tyre wear and degradation must not be overlooked, especially if temperatures are as high as they were in 2024.”

Absent from the Brazil round due to a scheduling conflict with the Berlin E-Prix, Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne are back in the PEUGEOT 9X8 since the 24 Hours of Le Mans last June. For this 6-hour race, Team Peugeot TotalEnergies will field its usual driver trios:
Di Resta/Jensen/Vergne in the #93 and Duval/Jakobsen/Vandoorne in the #94.

Another internationally renowned driver will also be present in Austin with the French team. Double Formula E Vice-Champion, and Super Formula and Super GT Champion in Japan, New Zealander Nick Cassidy (31) will discover the PEUGEOT 9X8 during a test session organized the Tuesday following the race.
“We are delighted to welcome Nick to the PEUGEOT program” says Olivier Jansonnie, Technical Director of Peugeot Sport. “His experience in various disciplines, his technical approach, and his speed make him a valuable asset for the team. This session in Austin will be an important first contact with the PEUGEOT 9X8, ahead of his official entry into our full-time driver line-up for the 2026 season. Théo Pourchaire will also drive the PEUGEOT 9X8 during this test session.”

Excited to join the project, Nick Cassidy stated:
“I’m very proud to be joining PEUGEOT for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship. Racing for such an iconic brand in endurance racing — especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans — is a dream opportunity. I look forward to contributing to the team’s ambitions and taking on the challenge ahead.”

The PEUGEOT 9X8 cars will return to the Circuit of The Americas on Friday, September 5th for the first two free practice sessions. The next day, the Lionesses will take part in Qualifying for the Lone Star Le Mans, the 99th race of the FIA WEC, which will start on Sunday, September 7th at 1:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. French time).

Jean-Eric Vergne (PEUGEOT 9X8 #93):

“After a long summer break, I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the PEUGEOT 9X8 in Austin, nearly three months after Le Mans! I made the most of the holidays with my family to recharge and focus on training — a lot of training, actually — to be ready for the two races in September.”

Stoffel Vandoorne (PEUGEOT 9X8 #94):

“CoTA is a track I really like, but it’s also quite tricky because it’s very bumpy. With fast corners, slow corners, and bumps, it’s not easy to find the right setup. Race strategy is also quite challenging due to tyre degradation. And for us drivers, it might be the most physically demanding race of the year because it’s extremely hot, the track runs counterclockwise, and the bumps make it very tough. Our last race in São Paulo went quite well — hopefully, we can continue performing at that level.”

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