Massive Fire for Project 1 Porsche in Sebring Test

Photo: Jamey Price

Joerg Bergmeister has escaped injury following a massive fire for the No. 56 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR in Sunday’s FIA World Endurance Championship test session at Sebring International Raceway.

The Porsche factory driver was at the wheel of the GTE-Am class championship-leading entry when the car caught fire midway through the morning test session, which is open to WEC teams ahead of the inaugural 1000 Miles of Sebring.

Eyewitnesses indicated that Bergmeister climbed from the Porsche and searched for a fire bottle at a marshal’s post as the car was nearly fully engulfed in flames.

While a red flag was quickly called, it took a number of minutes for fire crews to arrive on the scene in Turn 6, near the new crossover bridge.

Project 1 team manager Axel Funke told Sportscar365 that the team is in the process of arranging for a new chassis to be flown in from Porsche in Germany.

Funke added that Bergmeister was cleared and checked by the Sebring medical center and showed no signs of smoke inhalation.

Project 1 is now in a race to take delivery of its replacement chassis in time for the first WEC free practice session on Wednesday afternoon.

The German squad gained limited laps in the two-day test after not setting any times on Saturday morning.

Photo: Jamey Price

Photo: Jamey Price

Photo: Jamey Price

Photo: John Dagys

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John