During the second practice of the Porsche Sprint Cup Iberia on Friday, the Porsche GT3 Cup 991 of Portuguese driver Alexandre Areia suffered brake failure and crashed backwards through a catch fence on the outside of Turn 1 before staying in the grandstand area beyond.
Areia was unhurt and there were no spectators in the seating area, although footage of the incident was captured by a fan sitting in the stands to the right of the collision area.
The second WEC practice session ended with time, but the grandstand was closed to the public.
A statement from motorsport’s governing body released to Autosport said: “The FIA is investigating the incident that happened during the first practice session of the Porsche Sprint Series Ibérica at the Autódromo Internacional de l’Algarve .
“The FIA is currently in the process of gathering information and a review by the FIA Circuit Commission will follow.
“The FIA is working closely with circuit staff and event organizers. The grandstand will remain closed until further notice.
“Improving safety is an ongoing process, so the conclusions drawn from this incident and others around the world will feed into the ongoing development of safety in motorsport.”
The car entered the grandstand area after the accident in Portimao
Writing on Twitter, Areia shared her gratitude that no one was injured.
“I pretty much became a passenger,” he said. “Luckily there was no one in that area of the grandstand and I managed to get out of the accident unscathed, thanks to the level of safety of that car.”
The Portimao event was the first round of the series promoted by P21 Motorsport, which has attracted a 24-car grid that includes reigning Porsche Supercup champion Dylan Pereira.
The Portimao track is an FIA Grade 1 track and has twice hosted the Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix, with the 2020 and 2021 editions won by Lewis Hamilton.
The WEC makes its second visit to the circuit with a six-hour race this weekend, having first held an eight-hour enduro in 2021.
Main image photo: James Turner
