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Project 1 finish as the best Porsche team in Monza

It may not have been the podium finish the team was hoping for, but Project 1 still came away from the third round of the FIA WEC with fourth place and a solid points haul. The race in Monza was all about preparations for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans, and both of the team’s Porsche 911 RSRs emerged from the six-hour race without any major issues.

“That was a great weekend in more ways than one,” said Axel Funke. Despite just missing out on a podium, the team principal was in no way disappointed with the performance. “Everything worked perfectly and we managed to bring the cars home. Sure there are a couple of small things we need to work on, but the whole crew have risen in confidence ahead of Le Mans – which is super important with the highlight of the season in a few weeks’ time.”

The team showed plenty of fighting spirit in northern Italy, which is something else they will need in spades when it comes to the 24-hour classic. Egidio Perfetti, Riccardo Pera and Matteo Cairoli were in fine form, with Cairoli particularly impressive in his duel with Aston Martin driver Augusto Farfus in the closing stages of the race. “We were down on pace a little compared to the Aston Martins and the Ferraris, so it was quite difficult to fight them off this weekend,” the Italian said after the race. “But I think we made the best out of the situation and maximised our opportunities.”

Egidio Perfetti was one of the drivers who performed to his best throughout the weekend, with fourth place in qualifying giving the crew a solid platform to build on in the race. “We would have loved to have finished on the podium, that’s for sure, but the result was still OK. We were the best Porsche team in the class, which is something we can take pride in.”

For Perfetti and his two teammates, fourth place translates to twelve valuable points in the championship. Project 1 are now fifth in the LMGTE Am class standings after three of the season’s six races, just a handful of points behind their rivals.

Anders Buchardt, Dennis Olsen and Maxwell Root also mixed things up in the LMGTE Am category in their Porsche 911 RSR. The trio in the #46 machine were using the Monza race as preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the team were happy with how things went.

“I enjoyed every minute of that,” said Maxwell Root on his WEC race with Project 1. “It was my first race in this car at Monza and there are a few things I need to get used to, such as the brakes, which are hugely important.”

The 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway on 21 August, but teams and drivers will have a chance to conduct extensive testing at the Circuit de la Sarthe during the pre-race test and qualification sessions.

PROJECT 1

GALLERIE