Peugeot ends Audi’s dominance with 2009 Le Mans 1-2 finish
Peugeot Sport Total took a commanding 1-2 victory at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, breaking Audi’s winning streak and securing the marque’s first win at the event since 1993.
Peugeot Sport Total delivered a decisive result at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, securing both first and second place overall. Marc Gené, Alexander Wurz and David Brabham drove the No. 9 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP to victory, completing 382 laps and ending Audi’s run of eight wins in nine years.
The sister No. 8 Peugeot, piloted by Franck Montagny, Stéphane Sarrazin and Sébastien Bourdais, crossed the line in second. Audi Sport Team Joest, led by Tom Kristensen, Rinaldo Capello and Allan McNish in the No. 1 R15 TDI, finished third after mechanical issues hampered their challenge. This marked Peugeot’s first Le Mans triumph since 1993 and the end of Audi’s dominance that began in 2000.
Peugeot’s challenge and Audi’s response
Peugeot entered three diesel-powered 908s, aiming to unseat Audi’s R15 TDI, which debuted that year. The French team set the pace early, with both lead cars running at the front and building a gap overnight. Audi’s effort was blunted by technical problems, including electrical and fuel system issues, which forced lengthy pit stops. While Audi remained competitive, the Peugeots maintained a steady pace and reliability through the night and into Sunday.
Key class winners and race incidents
The LMP2 category was won by the No. 31 Essex team Porsche RS Spyder, while Corvette Racing took the GT1 class with the No. 63 Corvette C6.R. In GT2, Risi Competizione’s Ferrari F430 GT secured class honours. The race saw several high-profile incidents, including crashes for the Aston Martin LMP1 entries and a dramatic collision for Lucas Luhr’s Audi R15, which did not prevent the car from continuing after repairs. The Nissan DeltaWing, which would later make headlines in 2012, was not present in this edition.
- Overall: Peugeot 908 HDi FAP (No. 9), Gené, Wurz, Brabham
- LMP2: Porsche RS Spyder (No. 31), Elgaard, Collard, Poulsen
- GT1: Corvette C6.R (No. 63), Magnussen, O’Connell, Garcia
- GT2: Ferrari F430 GT (No. 82), Melo, Kaffer, Salo
What Peugeot’s win meant for Le Mans
Peugeot’s victory was a statement for diesel technology and for the manufacturer’s Le Mans programme, which had been building towards this result since its return to the race in 2007. For drivers like Marc Gené and Alexander Wurz, the win added to their endurance racing credentials. Audi, despite the setback, remained a formidable presence and would return to challenge Peugeot in subsequent years.
