Peugeot Sport will register for the new-for-2014 FIA European Rally Championship Manufacturers’ Cup. As a result, drivers planning to contest the new ERC Junior Championship next season will be able to do so in a Peugeot 208 R2, which will now be eligible for the young driver category.
In addition, the Peugeot Rally Academy, created by Peugeot Sport in 2013 to showcase emerging talent, will enter Dutch driver Kevin Abbring and Irishman Craig Breen in a pair of R5-specification 208 T16s on several rounds of the ERC.
“The ERC Manufacturers’ Cup gives us two opportunities and we’re very glad it exists again,” said Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin.
“Firstly, it will allow us to show how good, hopefully, the 208 T16 is and we hope we will have many cars in the ERC during the year. The second opportunity is to enable our customers to score points in the new ERC Junior Championship with our 208 R2. We are convinced this car is the new reference of the R2 category and there will be a lot of young drivers who can shine in this car in the ERC with the Eurosport coverage as a great platform.”
Peugeot’s 208 T16 is due to be homologated for competition use on 1 March 2014 with cars delivered to customers from February onwards. Famin also confirmed that a Peugeot Rally Academy-supported 208 R2 could be entered on selected rounds of the ERC Junior Championship with Frenchman Stéphane Lefebvre under consideration for the seat.
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