By
Jade Watkins
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Mother-of-one Rachael Finch has flipped her car during the Mazda celebrity challenge race at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Saturday.
The 25-year-old, who gave birth to her daughter Violet just five months ago, escaped the dramatic accident unscathed.
Finch’s Mazda race car flipped onto its roof and crashed into a tyre barrier after she veered off track and into the gravel.
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Lucky escape: Mother-of-one Rachael Finch has escaped unscathed after her car flipped during the Mazda celebrity challenge at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Saturday
Flipped: The television presenter’s car flipped over and crashed into a tyre barrier
During the incident, her car was also hit by fellow celebrity driver, Clint Stanaway.
Finch’s husband Michael Miziner witnessed the crash while standing track side with the couple’s baby daughter Violet.
After several racing stewards rushed to her aid, Rachael emerged from her smashed car smiling and waving to a very relieved crowd.
Relief: Onlookers were relieved when Rachael emerged from her car unscathed
She was promptly checked over by onsite paramedics who gave her the all clear and escorted her off the track.
‘I felt completely relaxed, I knew the safety team were coming to get me. I’m just disappointed I have to start from the back of the grid tomorrow.’
She had her fellow celeb drivers in a spin too, the MailOnline spoke exclusively to Tim Robbard from the Channel 10 suite, he said: ‘I only saw it [the crash] right at the end. I saw it was Finchy and just really hoped she was okay.’
He went on to say that: ‘She was the one who asked at the start of the training if there was any chance of possibly of flipping the car and they told her there was a very, very little chance.
‘Every day before we would go out she would tell us to be careful.’
Skidding: Rachael skidded into the gravel
Dramatic: And then her vehicle promptly flipped over
According to news.com.au, the actress was left shaken following the crash.
But it wasn’t too long before the brave celebrity had pulled herself together and posed with Stanaway, who offered his apologies and told of his relief that Rachael was OK.
‘Thankfully @RachaelFinch is absolutely OK – and yes… we’re still mates! #Mazda3CelebGP,’ he tweeted along with a snap of the pair together giving the cameras the thumbs up.
The incident caused the celebrity race to finish early – cyclist Robbie McEwen taking the checkered flag and soccer player Brett Emerton coming in second place.
Thumbs up: Clint Stanaway tweeted a picture of the brave lady after she survived the crash, captioned: Thankfully @RachaelFinch is absolutely OK – and yes… we’re still mates!
Before the crash: Rachael was seen doing up her racing uniform ahead of the celebrity challenge race on day 2 of the Australian Grand Prix
Rachael had already had a small bingle during practise for the race on Thursday.
She had hit Nova 100 comedian Tommy Little after his car smashed into a wall.
She showed the result of the incident on her Instagram page, captioning a snap of her crashed car: ‘No kissing allowed at the @ausgp ! My peck w/ @tommy_little @mazdaaus #mazda3celebGP ‘
Looking flawless: The brunette beauty tied her locks back into a ponytail in preparation to put her helmet on
Life saver: Rachael puts protective headgear on before the race
Excited: The TV presenter was in good spirits ahead of the race
‘I had a crash, it was a pretty impressive one, I can’t say too much about it but someone who has been working there the entire time (at the Grand Prix since the race first came to Melbourne) has not seen anyone hit the wall that I hit,’ Little later said on his radio show.
‘Technically I am just trying not to come last in the celeb race. I decided that coming last when you are the least famous person is horrible, because they go “who’s that coming last?”‘
Last year Rachael had to pull out of the event when she fell pregnant with her daughter, so this year she was determined to make her mark, saying earlier in the week: ‘I am super excited to be involved in the race this year, it makes it even more special that my husband and daughter will be cheering me on from the grandstand.’
Celebs drivers: The petrol head with her fellow racers at the qualifying round on Thursday
Tracked out: The drivers check out their route, they spent three days preparing for the races
Practise round: There were 20 celebs putting their foot to the pedal
She was one of 20 celebrity drivers that took place in the Mazda challenge which is part of the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix which takes place this weekend in Melbourne.
The drivers undertook three days of intense training before taking to the circuit on Thursday for practice sessions, qualifying on Friday, followed by the five-lap race on Saturday and Sunday.
Other contestants include television presenters Catriona Rowntree, Charley Boorman, and Lauren Phillips; Winter Olympians Torah Bright and Lydia Lassila; singers Megan Washington and Rob Mills; model Scherri-Lee Biggs; and AFL player Nathan Brown.
Helmet head: Earlier this week Rachael took her daughter Violet to the suit fittings
New mum: The 24-year-old gave birth to Violet in September, it’s her first child
Safe and sound: Rachael’s Dancing With the Stars hubby Michael Miziner will be relieved his wife returned unscathed
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Rachael Finch escapes uninjured after her car flips onto its roof in dramatic crash during celebrity race at the Australian Grand Prix
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