The race weekend at the high-speed Monza circuit presents a unique challenge for Nick Cassidy, who feels almost like a rookie on the historic Italian layout. The New Zealand driver notes that his only prior experience at the venue came back in 2022 aboard a GT car in the World Endurance Championship. Despite a challenging campaign where a solitary seventh-place finish in the second race at Spa-Francorchamps stands as their only points-scoring result so far, he remains determined to secure a strong conclusion to the season with Peugeot.
"Yes, it hasn't been an easy year," Cassidy admits candidly while reflecting on the team's struggles. "We made mistakes, and I don't exclude myself from that. Every small mistake has an immediate and severe consequence. We had some races where we suddenly found ourselves a lap down. Given the current competitive balance in WEC, that means your race is more or less over. We certainly could have done several things better, but I am convinced that we will come back stronger."
Intensive development work has already begun behind the scenes as the French manufacturer looks ahead to major performance upgrades. "That is why we have worked hard on progress that should succeed in 2027 with the Evo kit," he explains regarding the technical roadmap. "With that, we should be faster. But of course, we don't know yet how much impact the new package will have." Winter testing schedules remain packed, including crucial running ahead of the holiday break to fine-tune the machinery.
Alongside his endurance commitments, Cassidy faces a demanding dual program with his full-time seat in the FIA Formula E World Championship. An upcoming collective pre-season test in Jarama during November highlights the transition toward the eagerly anticipated Gen4 era, while questions regarding the season opener in Jeddah remain out of the drivers' hands.
On a positive note, the impending collaboration with former garage partner Mitch Evans—as both compete using Stellantis powertrain technology—brings renewed enthusiasm for shared data analysis and developmental synergy heading into the new single-seater season.
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