Project 1 to receive new Porsche

Team Project 1 should be ready to roll at Sebring this week following its fire during the pre-event test. The team has confirmed to DSC that it will receive its new Porsche 911 RSR tomorrow morning.

The team must complete engine work and sensor work before it runs, so the team will almost certainly miss Free Practice 1. The car has however, already been shaken down in Europe.

We have a solution for the #1000MSebring – Now its about the realization – there is a car at the airport in the moment. Tomorrow morning we have the confirmation, if we can run…. For now thanks to @DeutschePostDHL & @FIAWEC & @PorscheRaces for their help 🙏 #WEC #project1_93 pic.twitter.com/fybyMH0VHr — Project 1 Motorsport (@Project1_93) March 12, 2019

The car the team will use for the rest of the week is the new build it ordered for its ELMS campaign. A team spokesperson said that no decision has been made yet whether or not it will order a new chassis to replace the one which suffered the fire.

Clearwater’s new colours

Clearwater Racing’s Ferrari 488 GTE is here on site in its new livery at Sebring. The team retired its chrome paint job to mark the exit of full-time racing for longtime driver Weng Sun Mok’s career at the tail end of last year.

The car now bares sponsors from returning WEC driver Luis Perez Companc.

Look out for a nice gallery looking back at Mok’s career this week on DSC.

Corvette’s WEC C7.R to run in yellow

Corvette Racing’s FIA WEC GTE PRO C7.R will race in the team’s traditional yellow colours. The car, which ran at the 6 Hours of Shanghai last year in a silver Redline paint scheme has reverted back to a more familiar livery for the team’s third WEC appearance of the ‘Super Season’.

Its GTE Pro C7.R will be run out of its IMSA set up in the WeatherTech paddock, which houses its pair of GTLM C7.Rs that will race in Saturday’s 12 Hours.

As a side note, a number of Greaves Motorsport personnel, including Jacob Greaves, are on site this weekend assisting Corvette Racing with its WEC effort as they did in Shanghai.

New pit lane

Today gave DSC the opportunity to take a proper look at the new WEC pit lane at Sebring before track action starts tomorrow.

The pits, which runs parallel to the usual pit straight set up for the IMSA WeatherTech teams, is located on the back straight of the circuit on the run to Turn 17, meaning the cars will exit the pits midway down the straight.

This means that both paddocks are located in one long strip behind the start/finish straight, separated by the enormous Michelin tyre compound.

Hirsch joins Rebellion

Swiss driver Gary Hirsch has joined Rebellion Racing’s LMP1 team to become its reserve and development driver for the 2019/20 season.

Hirsch has years of experience in prototypes before, racing in LMP2 for multiple seasons, highlighted by an ELMS title win in 2015. Thus far though, he has yet to make a race start in an LMP1 car.

“We are very proud to welcome a Swiss driver with such qualities within Rebellion Racing. I wish him the best and a lot of success with us. He is welcome in our Swiss Endurance family!” said Calim Bouhadra, CEO of Rebellion Corporation.

Hirsch added: “I am thrilled to announce the beginning of this new journey with Rebellion Racing, as I will be taking on the role of reserve and development race driver. This return to my roots in LMP programme consolidates my long term engagement to endurance racing.

“I greatly look forward to sharing my experiences and knowledge, both inside as well as outside the car and contribute together with the team in Rebellion’s utmost success.”

It’s unclear at this point just what his role as development driver will look like.

Timetable

The timetable for ‘Super Sebring’ race week is a sight to behold! Track action begins tomorrow with the FIA WEC’s first practice session.

Take a look at it HERE >>>