Podium finish in the FIA WEC

After converting third place on the grid to third place in the race, Project 1 made a big step forward to a top championship placement in Bahrain. Egidio Perfetti, Riccardo Pera and Matteo Cairoli put together an error-free race to take a well-deserved podium.

“We had a great car and three drivers in top form, and the podium finish was just reward for the hard work,” said Axel Funke after the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. “Egidio showed that we were in with a good shout for a top-three finish by going third fastest in qualifying. In the race itself, all three drivers put together a great performance in spite of the searing heat and the rapid race pace.”

In spite of the podium celebrations, there was a tinge of disappointment at the six-hour race, as Funke explains: “Second place was possible for us, but a couple of poor pit stops cost us a lot of time and dashed any hopes of moving up the field. Over the next week we will be analysing the strategy to see what we can improve on for the next race.”

There’s plenty of work to do, too, as Funke and his crew have a tough fight on their hands for third in the GTE Am championship. Project 1 are currently sixth in the table with 55 points as the best-placed Porsche team. However, they only trail the third-place team (AF Corse) by three points.

The season finale of the FIA WEC takes place in a week’s time at the same track, Bahrain International Circuit. The sixth round of the season starts at 2pm local time, meaning that the majority of the eight-hour race will be run in darkness.