Man-on-the-move Quinn set to make his mark with Peugeot

For Alex Quinn, this weekend marks the start of a new phase in his career. The 25-year-old British racer is making his FIA WEC race debut as a factory Hypercar driver with Peugeot in Barcelona, ahead of its first full campaign in 2027.

To anyone who hasn’t followed LMP2 racing closely in recent years, it may seem like an odd choice for a major factory to promote a young driver with no top-class experience when there’s an abundance of talent on the market as the Acura and Alpine programs come to a close. But since the Hypercar era began, the ELMS, IMSA and Asian Le Mans Series’ LMP2 divisions have been an effective breeding ground for Hypercar talent. With no BoP and nearly every team racing with equal equipment (the ORECA 07), some of the world’s most promising young drivers have flocked to the formula. It’s a ruthless corner of the sport, with nowhere to hide, but factory drives are on offer if you turn the right heads.

As for Quinn, since his single-seater career ended in 2022 (with a partial season of US F2000) and he made his LMP2 debut (in 2023 in IMSA with PR1 Mathiasen), he has passed pretty much every test, leaving a lasting impression with some of the best teams in the business in races across the U.S., Europe and Asia. 

Quinn played a key part in CrowdStrike by APR’s brilliant IMSA LMP2 season. Michael Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images

This year alone he’s scored class wins at Daytona’s Rolex 24, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans, won an IMSA LMP2 title as the anchor for CrowdStrike Racing by APR and won an ELMS race with Nielsen Racing. It’s a rise that’s been short and sharp. His combination of speed and maturity quickly caught the eye of Peugeot management, who handed him a test and development role for Peugeot last November and, as of last week, a full factory drive for 2027.

“Excitement is the key word for me. I actually don’t feel a huge amount of pressure, which is good. It’s a nice surprise I’m here (making his debut before the end of 2026) and just able to enjoy it,” he tells RACER.

“It’s been hard to hold the news in, because I’ve known for a while. I sat down with my family and my girlfriend, and we signed the contract together. It was nice to have that moment because they’ve been there since the start and they’re not here this weekend. My career hasn’t been easy with money, and the normal things drivers get in racing, so to get a contract and reach the top is really special.”

Though he’s had plenty of time to digest the fact that his future lies with Peugeot, Quinn hasn’t had much time or bandwidth to ready himself for this weekend’s race in Barcelona. His schedule at this time of year has been as relentless as ever, with his ELMS and IMSA campaigns coming to a close amid a flurry of tightly packed events.

“It’s flown by – there’s not been much time to prepare or worry about it,” he says. “The way I’m looking at it is it’s just another race. Of course, there are new things to learn with the car and the way the team works, but in terms of personal preparation, there’s no huge pressure.”

The Peugeot is new to him, but Quinn is counting on track knowledge to help him get up to speed quickly. James Moy Photography/Getty Images

Getting the call-up for his WEC debut at a circuit he knows well through his time in the ELMS will help him get up to speed quickly. He also has a long-standing relationship with teammate Paul di Resta to build on, plus testing and simulator experience with the 9X8. What he doesn’t have is much time behind the wheel of Peugeot’s flagship race car on a busy track.

“I did the Bahrain Rookie Test with other cars on track last year, but that was only one day, and it was quite short, so there’s still learning to be done,” he notes. “I know the car well from testing in private, though, at Portimao earlier this year.”

Fortunately, as the only newcomer this weekend within Peugeot’s ranks, Quinn will benefit from additional track time before the race.

“I’m going to get longer runs in practice, which is nice. I won’t have to rush anything. I feel like a Bronze driver in a way – I’m getting the same treatment!” he jokes. “But it’s nice the team is looking after me and giving me everything I need to do the best job I can. It feels like a family environment already.

“And ultimately, it’s just a race car. It’s obviously much more complex than an LMP2 car, but we still drive it the same way. So my aim is to just go out there and extract a good level of performance. In the background, there will be a lot of learning to do on systems and stuff; it’s going to take a bit of cementing into my brain, but there’s no reason I shouldn’t be up there.”

Getting two races under his belt with the No. 93 crew before his first full season, in which Quinn will play a key role in the debut of the overhauled 2027-spec 9X8, allows him to look ahead with excitement rather than nervous anticipation. 

“It’s a new championship for me; there are a lot of new tracks, like Fuji, and I’m really excited for Austin. It’s going to be nice to visit places the ELMS doesn’t normally go to,” he says. “Then of course there’s Silverstone; that’s really exciting, a big event that’s coming back to the WEC and Le Mans, driving for a French brand.”

There’s only one downside to this new chapter for Quinn. He’ll spend less time on his family’s farm in Camelford, North Cornwall, which he works at between races. 

“The only issue I have with this contract is that it’s taking me away from the farm,” he admits. “I’m spending less time in a tractor now, which isn’t as good. But part of me is more excited than usual to go home after these couple of WEC races and spend a little more time there!”