With the recent somewhat convoluted announcements about Citroen and Peugeot’s short-term motorsport priorities it was inevitable that the company would be asked directly about the potential for Peugeot to return to their earlier sportscar programme, cancelled just before the start of the FIA WEC in early 2012.

French TV’s ‘Turbo’ programme did just that this morning with Group Head Carlos Tavares answering:

“Obviously in the company there is a great passion for the 24 hours of Le Mans, and a great passion for endurance races which are also part of the company’s DNA.

“Having discussed this question with several sport managers, I have always put a number of conditions.

“The first condition is that the PSA company is completely straightened, on its economic fundamentals.

“The second condition is having, at the level of the World Endurance Championship, a control on the regulations that results in a cost control that makes this sport and this practice reasonable.

“And then the third condition is having time to prepare ourselves to face the other competitors and the other brands which have been there for more years than us. We must be able to enter at a level of preparation, technology and technical maturity that is at the highest level because, if we return, obviously it’s to win.”

With thanks to David Legangneux