TWENTY-NINE Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Cars will charge into Turn One at Albert Park this week as the second round of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship returns to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

It's a stacked field of talent that includes the return of a key contender from last year, a current champion of one-make Porsche racing in Asia and France plus the last three Albert Park winners in Australia's top one-make category.

Carrera Cup's 16th visit to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix comes with Harri Jones (Equity-One Professional class) and Rodney Jane (Pro-Am) leading their respective championships, while GWR Australia carries a narrow lead in the team's championship and Bayley Hall takes point in the Michelin Juniors.

All of them will find stern opposition this weekend, especially the outright contenders as current Carrera Cup Asia and France champion Alessandro Ghiretti joins the fray with EMA Motorsport.

A factory-supported Porsche Junior, Ghiretti will aim to follow in the footsteps of the last international ring-in who made an Aussie cameo: Supercup ace Harry King winning at Bathurst two years ago on his cameo, also with EMA Motorsport.

Ghiretti will be one of six drivers competing at Albert Park for the first time this weekend: Porsche Michelin Juniors Oscar Targett, Caleb Sumich, Clay Osborne and Hamish Fitzsimmons will all compete in Melbourne for the first time, as will Pro-Am racer Jacque Jarjo.

Returning this weekend is Jackson Walls, who's Objective Racing machine commences his part-time campaign at rounds that don't clash with his Super2 Series commitments with Triple Eight.

Walls was the 2023 winner at Albert Park, his sole Carrera Cup round win, and returns this year with the GWR Australia team running his iconic #11 entry.

GWR will field four cars for the first time in their Porsche one-make history with the return of Dean Cook to the Pro-Am class, 4-time round winner Dean Cook to also make his first start of the 2025 season this weekend. Experienced Pro-Am contender Indiran Padayachee also returns for his debut this year.

Albert Park's wide open expanses often produce thrilling Carrera Cup racing with last year's event at Albert Park no exception; while Harri Jones scored the TAG Heuer Pole award and won the first two races (and the round) there was a surprise winner in race three: teenager Marcos Flack claiming his first win in the Bob Jane T-Marts Sonic entry.

The past three Albert Park round winners, Jones, Walls and 2022 winner Max Vidau, are all represented on the grid this weekend.

Jones' leads the championship to Albert Park having dominated the opening round in Sydney last month, sweeping all three races to take an early lead. Bayley Hall had a solid opener in second while Dylan O'Keeffe sits third.

Jane's first Pro-Am win since the late 2000s has him heading to his home circuit on top of the class with Matt Slavin and Brett Boulton next. Two-time defending champion Adrian Flack will look to kickstart his search for a third title this weekend, having claimed fifth overall in Sydney.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will tackle three races across the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix weekend, with Thursday the busiest day on-track by far.

There, the field will practice, qualify and race before one race each on Friday and Saturday evenings bookends the massive Grand Prix schedule.

Qualifying and all three races will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sport this weekend.