IRISH driver Ryan Cullen believes the weekend’s Porsche Carrera Cup GB race in Belgium was a missed opportunity to claim a podium spot.
The 23-year-old – based in Somerset - finished eighth and ninth in races one and two at the Championship’s inaugural Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Two races into the season, former GP3 driver Cullen told The Irish Post that whilst the weekend started well for his team G-Cat Racing, their fortunes changed once poor weather conditions kicked in.
“We started off with really good pace,” he said. “It’s the first time Porsche had been there [Spa], so it was hard for us at first as we didn’t have a huge amount of knowledge with taking the Porsche round the track."
He added: “The race was pretty shocking, I got caught up in lots of rubbish on the track. It was wet so conditions were tough too, but overall, I overtook well and believe that I did well in the races. That’s the positive that I’ll take from it.”
Cullen began the first practice session in good form, before impressing as fifth quickest in second practice.
“I was confident going into qualifying that I could make the top three,” he explained. “With my first set of tyres I managed to place pole within the first five minutes, but I had a gearbox problem with the second set, which cost me some places.”
He began the first race fourth on the grid, but dropped down to 14th at one point, as Josh Webster of Team Parker stormed to victory.
Cullen managed to pick up the pace and cross the finish line in seventh place, before falling to eighth after being awarded a penalty.
In the second race of the weekend a strong drive from Cullen - which lined him up to finish fifth - was hampered in the final five minutes, after he and Team Parker’s Stephen Jelley made contact.
Dan Cammish of Red Line Racing took prime spot on the podium, whilst Cullen finished ninth.
With two of his teammates suffering accidents over the weekend, it wasn’t an ideal round for G-Cat Racing.
There's a month wait until the next set of races in the Championship, which take place at Oulton Park on June 6 – 7.
