Koenigsegg is licking its wounds this week following a crash involving one of its One:1 hypercars as it was trying to hunt down the lap record at the Nurburgring.
Not to be outdone by current lap record holder, the Porsche 918, Koenigsegg has been spotted for quite some time now pushing the One:1 megacar to take the top spot at Germany’s ‘Green Hell’; the Nurburgring’s Nordschleife.
Koenigsegg’s aim of taking out the lap record were dashed when it overshot the Foxhole bend, reportedly launching over the guard rail and coming to a rest on the grass to the side of the track, catching fire in the process. A video has surfaced on YouTube showing the aftermath, with massive tyre marks leading off the track – see below.
The One:1 in question suffered serious damage, however, the driver walked away without serious injury and Koenigsegg says it plans to rebuild the wreck.
There’s been no confirmation as to who was behind the wheel at the time, with the possibility of minor injuries to Koenigsegg’s chief test driver, Robert Serwanski, or another driver employed by Koenigsegg specifically for the lap record attempt.
Porsche claimed the Nurburgring lap record with a verified time of 6:57 with its 918 Spyder. Knowing the Swedes, they’ll be back for their record soon enough. Koenigsegg has since offered the following statement regarding the wreckage:
“Koenigsegg Automotive AB can confirm reports online that a Koenigsegg One:1 was involved in a crash during testing as part of Industry Pool at the Nurburgring on Monday, 18 July. The driver was taken to hospital as per standard procedures in such situations and was released the same afternoon. Koenigsegg has participated in Industry Pool testing for a week in each of the last two months, working primarily on vehicle setups both for ongoing vehicle development and for an attempt at a Nurburgring lap record at some time in the future.
“Our primary concern is always driver safety and any testing is structured and conducted accordingly. This incident is confirmation of just how difficult it is to drive at this level on the world’s ultimate proving ground. Obviously we are dismayed with this development but pleased that our safety systems worked as designed to protect our driver.”
https://youtu.be/RZWEBAHREa8
