Now official confirmation that a deal has yet been done and the #86 GR Racing Porsche 911 RSR has been delivered from its container to the paddock awning for the #56 team Project 1 team.
The #56 was badly damaged in the final track session of the Prologue yesterday and is not repairable on site. The #86 was withdrawn from the race last week after team Owner Mike Wainwright opted to remain in Switzerland to deal with the welfare of staff and suppliers in Ukraine and Russia in the wake of the Russian Invasion.
DSC reported yesterday that there had been contact between Project 1 and GR Racing to investigate whether a hire of the car, which had already been shipped to the USA ahead of the withdrawal of the entry, might be possible, that deal is now in place and the team were busy this evening transferring undamaged body panels to the car.
The damaged #56 car meanwhile will be shipped back to Germany and stripped to a bare chassis before being shipped back to Weissach where the chassis will be scanned to assess the damage.
The 911 RSR chassis is composed of four separate elements and the hope is that the damage, whilst series, might not have affected the area beyond the engine by.
Team Manager Axel Funke was feeling as if his, and the team’s luck must turn at some point, reminding the DSC Editor that is was three years and two days since they lost their first chassis to a fire for Jörg Bergmeister here at Sebring in pre-race testing ahead of the first Sebring 1000 Miles in 2019!
Ukraine Colours For #88 Dempsey Proton Porsche?
Also undergoing a change is the #88 Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche, the teal-based colour scheme carried over from the past weekend’s Prologue test, is being replaced this afternoon by a new somewhat more vibrant theme with colours that bear a striking resemblance to the Ukraine national flag! More news on this as we get it!
Blue Is the New Orange For Algarve Pro
As noted yesterday the #45 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca 07 is in the midst of a change to a ‘heritage’ sky blue livery today, the team also undertaking an engine change.
As a result, they will miss the full grid photographic shoot later today.
