Project 1 Orders Two New Porsche GT3s With Eyes on 2024

Team Project 1 is gearing itself up for a future involvement in the GT3 category by ordering two new Type-992 Porsche 911 GT3 Rs ahead of the car’s debut next year.

The German squad, which runs GTE-spec Porsches in the FIA World Endurance Championship, is mobilizing ahead of the series’ adoption of the GT3 formula in 2024.

Team principal Axel Funke confirmed that orders for two next-generation Porsches have been placed, with the deliveries currently projected to take place this December.

The organization plans to learn more about the GT3 product next year before working on customer deals to field both cars in the 2024 WEC season.

Project 1 has fielded Porsche 911 RSR-19s in the WEC’s GTE-Am class since 2018-19 and won the title in its maiden campaign, before expanding to two cars for 2019-20.

It intends to continue in the category for one more season next year before the GTE formula is phased out and replaced with GT3 cars that feature a ‘Premium’ body kit.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 R was revealed last week and will replace the German marque’s TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa and Nürburgring 24-winning 991.2 model.

“At a certain part we need to make up our minds about what we are going to do,” Funke told Sportscar365.

“Next year it’s GTE-Am only which is nice for us; as a customer team you can sell the idea of going for the overall GT win for one season only.

“And then, after this, we want to put our foot in the door for 2024 and come back with two cars again. This is a best scenario thing for the team.

“Also logistics-wise, we keep the same setup and just change the car from to GTE to GT3.

“From my understanding, you keep the toolboxes and we have to exchange some special tools.

“You replace the spare parts with GT3 R spares, and then you go. The range of available cars in GT3 is much bigger. But for us, we have done Porsches for 30 years.”

It is unclear if Project 1 will compete in any GT3 championships full-time next year, with Funke stating that the team wants to receive the cars first before deciding on its plans.

In addition to running customer Porsches in the WEC, it also has a large involvement in operating BMW machinery at other levels of the sports car racing pyramid.

It has two BMW M4 GT4s active in the DTM Trophy and provides official technical support to all cars competing in the BMW M2 Cup, which also sits on the DTM package.

Funke hopes that joining the GT3 formula will create a clearer line of progression through Project 1’s different motorsport ventures.

“We want to carry on with the potential drivers [from the M2 Cup] and then, the only sensible step is to GT3,” he said.

“We have to stick with the platform because this will make sense for us.”

Asked if Project 1 has considered purchasing any BMW M4 GT3s to complement its other racing programs with the same brand, Funke replied: “You can run various scenarios.

“Anything is possible because it’s customer sport.

“And you can say that if you have two different manufacturers, it is very unlikely that you get [impacted] with the BoP twice. So you can always have one car in the front.

“That could also make sense. We have a lot of decisions to make and conversations to have.”