Successful end of the season in Bahrain

Project 1 wrapped up their 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship season with a second successive podium in Bahrain. Egidio Perfetti, Riccardo Pera and Matteo Cairoli succeeded in matching their result from one week ago with a third-place finish at the 8 Hours of Bahrain. The performance saw the team from Lohne finish the season on a high, securing fourth position in the championship.

“It has been a season with more lows than highs,” said team principal Axel Funke after the conclusion of the race. “That made it all the more important to put on a competitive showing in Bahrain. We worked extremely hard between the two races in Bahrain and improved the car across in every area. We had the best package in LMGTE Am category by some margin.”

The #56 machine began the sixth and final round of the season from fourth on the grid. Thanks to outstanding consistency from Perfetti, Pera and Cairoli in the first few hours of the race, the trio were able to cement their third position in the LMGTE Am category. However, a one-minute stop-and-go penalty for an on-track incident during a full course yellow period saw the #56 Porsche fall back.

“The fact that we fought our way back through an extremely competitive field shows the team spirit that drives us all,” said Axel Funke. “Of course it’s disappointing to miss out on second by one tenth of a second, but we can take that on the chin and celebrate the end of the season with the rest of the paddock. After all, that’s the spirit of this championship.”

The two podiums in succession in Bahrain had a real impact on Project 1’s final position in the championship. Despite heading into the double-header in the Gulf in eighth position in the table, the team from Lohne managed to wrap up the season in fourth place – just one point behind third. “I would like to say a huge thanks to the crew,” said team founder Hans-Bernd Kamps. “The same goes for our drivers and partners – without them this season would never have been possible.”

The 2021 8 Hours of Bahrain brought to an end Project 1’s third season in the FIA WEC. The team plans to continue its programme in the series, with two Porsche 911 RSRs in the LMGTE Am category slated for 2022.