Recent statements from Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the Managing Board of PSA (Peugeot Citroen) seem to indicate positive movement towards a potential return to LMP1 competition.

In an interview this week with the L’Est Republican newspaper a follow-up question after an answer referring to the 2017 Peugeot win at the Dakar rally referred to the possibility of Peugeot adding other programmes:

“Why wouldn’t we ? This is now in the hands of global motorsport decision bodies / authorities. We will join if they cut down costs.

“For thirty-five years, I have been passionate about motorsport, but my passion for my business is stronger. We can not spend that kind of money without having a very good return on it, in the media. And I know very well how to calculate that number.

“I have the joy and privilege of spending numerous days in our factories. When I see our employees fighting to generate new ideas in order to trigger savings, at times small sums that do add up into something tangible, then I think that from an ethical point of view, there are sums that can no longer be spent.”

That very same issue is clearly to the fore in the sporting world with recent statements from the ACO, Sir Lindsay Owen Jones, Chairman of the FIA Endurance Committee, and FIA President Jean Todt all pointing to cost cutting as a matter of some urgency.

Changes in content and priority for future LMP1 rulesets have already been gripped, a reeling in of hybrid expenditure with one hybrid system only from the next rule change, clearly with one eye on retaining current factory programmes for as long as possible whilst attempting to fast-tack newcomers, with Peugeot very much the front-running prospect for a third factory effort.

With a second consecutive Dakar Rally win showing that the PSA board are winnable on the value of a major sporting programme, and the current PSA moves over a possible purchase of GM’s European car making assets indicating that the company has real confidence in their current and future financial strength, the ball is now firmly in the court of the sporting bodies involved. Watch this space very carefully indeed!