The scrutineers have passed the Peugeot 208 T16 to compete at this year's Pikes Peak hill climb on 30th June. Sébastien Loeb will drive the 875hp car in the 91st 'Race to the Clouds'.
As the T16 is in the Unlimited class for the event there are no technical regulations for it to meet; the focus of scrutineering was to ensure that the car and driving equipment are safe to race. Everything passed inspection without issue.
Despite his nine World Rally Championship wins Loeb had to attend the 'rookie driver' briefing for all competitors who are new to the event. Sébastien said; "Pikes Peak is a brand new experience for me, so while we have been testing here already, I really don't know what to expect from the actual race. You only get one shot up the hill and there is no second chance, so you have to make sure that you get everything right. So far the car feels fantastic."
Over the past two weeks Peugeot tested the car over the mountain course; subsequently the car was stripped down and rebuilt. This week Sébastien checked that all systems were performing correctly with the team having decided on a final set-up for the race. There are thirteen entries in the Unlimited class (and roughly 150 competitors in the entire event) who will be qualifying on 26th June to determine the order for Sunday's race. The action starts with the motorbike section at 08:00 local time; footage from inside the 208 T16 Pikes Peak can be viewed at redbull.tv.
Peugeot hopes to repeat its success exactly 25 years ago when Ari Vatanen set a course record with the 405 T16.