Porsche in AGP ride session crash

A 25-car field has taken to Practice for the Carrera Cup round at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix after a ride session crash for Marc Cini.

Cini’s Porsche was one of a number of cars across various support categories on the Albert Park circuit during the morning ride session.

The Tag Heuer Pro-Am class driver lost the rear end of the car exiting Turn 14 and made right-front contact with the concrete wall on driver’s right.

Cini told Speedcafe.com that he had no prior indication that the car was about to spin.

“I don’t know what happened. Whether (there was something) on the track or something broke on the car, I don’t know,” said the Porsche Centre Melbourne driver.

“It was just normal pace, going through normal – but with the passenger, obviously – at fairly low speed and no warning whatsoever; it just snapped and slid into a wall.”

There are suggestions that a Ferrari Challenge car had dropped fluid on the circuit prior to Cini’s arrival at the scene, though he was not certain of the cause.

“I’ve heard the same but I don’t know, I couldn’t tell you,” said Cini.

“It certainly felt something like that because it wasn’t a normal grip lose. It just let go and kept going.”

Speedcafe.com understands that the car will be taken offsite for repairs and is likely to return to the circuit tomorrow.

Defending Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia champion David Wall set the pace in the series’ only practice session which followed later in the day.

His fastest lap of 1:58.2647s was just enough to remain on top as Dylan O’Keeffe moved to second with his final timed lap.

Round 1 winner Jaxon Evans was third-fastest, from Alex Davison, Cameron Hill, and Nick McBride.

Former Virgin Australia Supercars Championship full-timers James Moffat and Dale Wood finished seventh and eighth respectively.

Last year’s Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge series winner Jordan Love was ninth-fastest, one position ahead of fastest Pro-Am class driver Max Twigg.

Qualifying starts at 1550 local time/AEDT before Race 1 this evening.

Results: Practice