WEC News: Malthe Jakobsen To Replace Peugeot Driver At The End Of 2024
![WEC Peugeot WEC Peugeot](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1170,h_658,x_0,y_83/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/motor-sports-onsi/01j337yq3tqrvbcky6px.jpg)
Nico Muller, who has been racing for Peugeot in the Hypercar category since 2022, will part ways with the team after the 2024 World Endurance Championship. He will be replaced by Malthe Jakobsen, who clinched the LMP3 title in the European Le Mans Series in 2022 and won the overall Asian Le Mans Series earlier this year.
Jakobsen brings a wealth of experience to the team. He is currently competing in ELMS’s top-tier LMP2 class with Cool Racing and, along with teammates Lorenzo Fluxa and Ritomo Miyata, secured victory in the season-opening race in Barcelona. However, it remains unclear where exactly he will be slotted in Peugeot’s two-car line-up.
The 20-year-old was the team's rookie driver in 2022 and 2023, having tested the 9X8 during the Bahrain rookie tests, before being elevated to the role of reserve driver early this year. Revealing his thoughts on bagging the new role, Jakobsen told Motorsport.com:
“I'm delighted to join Team Peugeot TotalEnergies’ as official driver in next season’s FIA World Endurance Championship.
“I'm very proud to have been part of this team for the last two years, first as junior driver and then this year as reserve driver. Thanks to all the team for giving me this great opportunity.”
Stellantis Motorsport chief Jean-Marc Finot expressed his opinion:
“We are very pleased to offer Malthe a seat in our WEC team for the 2025 season.
“As part of Stellantis Motorsport’s strategy for promoting talented young drivers, Malthe has shown constant progress and a lot of maturity. His promotion is the next logical step in his career and we are convinced that he will be an asset to the team in the PEUGEOT 9X8.”
Speaking of Muller, his motorsport future remains uncertain since he will also be ending his association with Abt in Formula E after the upcoming London finale. Certain reports suggest that the 32-year-old driver could move to Porsche customer Andretti in the all-electric championship next year. However, his WEC future remains unclear.
It has been a wild ride @nico_mueller and it isn’t over just yet. But at the end of the season, our favorite Swiss driver will leave Team Peugeot TotalEnergies to write a new chapter of his racing journey.
— Peugeot Sport (@peugeotsport) July 18, 2024
Danke, grazie, merci Nico for the hard work and good vibes!! ❤️🥹 pic.twitter.com/RX8YoY7jrS