Alex Areia was practising for the Porsche Sprint Challenge at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal, early on Friday morning when he was in a scary accident with the crash video now viral
The driver lost control of his 991.2-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car as he was slowing down for a very tight turn. The car ended up in a dirt trap.
Alex Areia’s car skidded, hit a tyre barrier, shot through the fence and landed on its back in the stands. Areia’s car flew into a section of the stands that would have been full of people on race day, but there was no one there.
Alex Areia crashes car into stands during Porsche sprint challenge practice at Algarve race track, crash accident video goes viral
Hugely concerning scenes at the Porsche Sprint Challenge in Portimão as a car burst through the barriers into the stands.
Thankfully Alex Areia was unscathed but it raises big safety concerns over a grade 1 #F1 circuit. pic.twitter.com/wBm1sIYbOq
— Connor Andrews (@ConnorAndrewsTS) April 15, 2023
The horrible crash was caught on camera, and the video quickly went viral on social media. This started a conversation about how important safety measures are in racing. Also the wreckage of Areira’s car, which was a total loss, had to be moved out of the stands with the help of a crane.
Alex Areia walks away unscathed from car crash during practice session
After seeing the scary crash, racing fans worried about Alex Areia’s safety, but he luckily walked away from the accident without any injuries. The driver talked about what happened on Twitter and said he was glad there were safety steps in place. “It was very angry. I ran out of brakes at the end of the straight, I practically became a passenger. Luckily, no one was in that area of the grandstand, and I managed to get out of the accident unharmed, thanks to the safety level of that car. Keep strong,” he wrote.
Foi muito bravo, fiquei sem travões no fim da reta, virei praticamente um passageiro.. felizmente não estava ninguém naquela zona da bancada e consegui sair ileso do acidente, graças ao nível de segurança daquele carro, keep strong💪🏼💪🏼 https://t.co/H5MWdAZulr
— Alex Areia (@OneManShowz) April 14, 2023
After the accident, fans praised the race track’s safety steps, which definitely saved the Alex Areia’s life. One fan wrote, “That’s insane. In a packed grandstand, there are a dozen or more fatalities and just as many injuries. Wow.” Another said, “Thank the Lord that this was during a practice session! Hope the driver is ok!” and yet another fan commented, “If we had the stands crowded now we would be talking about 10 dead people.”
The shocking crash by Alex Areia shows how dangerous motorsports can be and how important it is to always have the right safety measures in place. In this case, the safety steps worked as they were meant to, and the driver was able to walk away without any injuries.