Macau Grand Prix:
Formula 3 and Motor Racing
Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix – FIA Intercontinental Cup of Formula 3
(Text from Manuel Costa Antunes - Co-ordinator of the Macau Grand Prix Committee)
Widely expected to be a favourite for victory is newly-crowned F3 Euroseries champion, British driver Lewis Hamilton. He wrapped up the title before the end of August, with two race meetings left to go. Lewis took pole position for the Macau Grand Prix last year, but ill luck denied him the win. No doubt he will be returning this year determined to join our famous list of winners.
However, there are plenty of incredibly talented drivers with a real chance of victory and, as you are all well aware, Macau and its Guia Street Circuit are such that the result is never a forgone conclusion!
Lewis’s ASM F3 team mate, German Sebastian Vettel, will be a serious challenger as the pair will have the same ultra-fast package powered by the Mercedes-HWA engines.
The leading drivers in the Japanese F3 championship, including champion Joao Paulo de Oliveira, will be on the grid at Macau next month, and our friends from Carlin Motorsport will field a strong team of three.
In what will be an extremely poignant moment for many of us here in Macau, the nephew of our very first Macau Formula 3 Champion Ayrton Senna will be competing in the same race as his legendary uncle. Bruno Senna will be racing with the Raikkonen Robertson Racing team, and I am sure Macau will give him a very warm welcome.
The vast majority of the cars this year will be Dallaras, with a variety of different engines, however there are some exceptions: Steven Kane of Britain will drive a Lola for Promatecme, and Brazilian Fabio Carbone will drive the developing SLC chassis entered by Signature.
As the calibre and experience of our own racing drivers continues to increase, we are delighted to announce that this year we will have five Macau entries in the event. Rodolfo Avila has been flying the flag for Macau this season in the Asian Formula 3 series as he continues his progress in the world of single seater racing. Joining him for their “home” event, will be Cheong Lou Meng running in this event for the first time and the drivers Jo Merszei, Lei Kit Meng, and Michael Ho.
Photo from Macau Grand Prix Committee.
FIA WTCC LG - Guia Race of Macau – Presented by Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A.
As you are all aware, Macau is proud to be hosting the final round of the FIA’s newest world championship this year. We are also delighted to welcome Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. as the presenting sponsor, and our gratitude goes to them for their continued support of the Grand Prix.
Having the final round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship in Macau brings with it a great deal of additional prestige to both our event and to our city, but even more exciting still is the fact that the very first championship will be decided right here on the Guia Circuit.
Following the penultimate round in Spain just over a week ago, three drivers will come to Macau with the chance of claiming the inaugural FIA WTCC title. Dirk Müller, Andy Priaulx and Fabrizio Giovanardi will arrive here separated by just five points. With 20 points available for the two Macau races, the title could go to any one of the three, guaranteeing a truly memorable debut for the championship here.
Dirk and Andy, who makes his sixth visit to Macau, will both be driving BMW 320i’s, while Fabrizio will be at the wheel of the Alfa Romeo 156.
The Michelin Independents’ Trophy for privateer teams will also be decided here. Five drivers remain in contention for the trophy, including German Marc Hennerici, Giuseppe Ciro, Macau regular Tom Coronel, Carl Rosenblad and Stefano D’Aste.
An impressive 28 international entries have already been received and, in addition to the BMWs and Alfa Romeos, the field will include the SEAT, Ford, Chevrolet and Honda.
In addition to bringing the most impressive field of touring cars and drivers in the world to Macau, the FIA WTCC also adds an additional 24 million viewers to the Macau Grand Prix’s already-impressive broadcast reach through its Eurosport broadcasts, while the manufacturers, sponsors, media and related personnel will mean even more visitors to our city next month.
39th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – Hotel Fortuna
The Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – Hotel Fortuna adds to the unique nature of our event. It is almost unheard of for cars and motorcycles to run on the same race programme, but here in Macau it has worked superbly for almost four decades and adds to the broad appeal of the Macau Grand Prix.
But the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – Hotel Fortuna is far more than this. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the most famous two-wheel challenges in the world. The diversity of the riders – from road racing specialists, to national superbike heroes, to the stars of endurance racing – and our extraordinary Guia street circuit, have combined to create something of a legend in motorcycle circles. We are delighted that, once again, the Hotel Fortuna is on board as the title sponsor.
This year, the big question on everyone’s mind is whether five-time Macau champion Michael Rutter can equal the record of six victories set by the fabled Ron Haslam. Certainly the British Superbike front runner is impressive on the Guia Circuit, but the field this year includes many Macau regulars who will provide strong opposition, and an exciting array of newcomers.
Briton John McGuinness, who won the event in 2001 and led for much of the race last year, will be back, as will 22-year-old Stuart Easton who finished third last year.
Winner of the FIM 600CC Supersport Class last year, Callum Ramsay, returns to defend his title amongst a strong entry of nine riders in the Class.
Also entered in the Class is Hong Kong’s Cheung Wai On who made his Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix debut last year having won as a novice rider many times here.
This year we welcome several new riders including Britons Keith Stewart and Guy Martin, Pere Riba of Spain, Tiago Magalhaes, Nuno Silva and Antonia Moreira of Portugal. Another rider making his debut this year will be Jason Broome. Although racing as a Hong Kong rider, Jason actually lives and works in Macau.
As is the case with our local racing drivers, so our Macau riders also continue to develop their skills, and this year we are delighted to have Sou Se Hong entered by a Macau team, Ao’s Racing. Joining him will be team mate Leong Iok Choi, while Wong Man Kwong will be riding a privately-entered 750cc Suzuki.
Although originally from Portugal, Joao Fernandes now lives and works in Macau, and will be competing for the 6th time, this year on a 600cc Macau Bikes Racing Team Yamaha.
Race Programme
Part of the enduring and widespread appeal of the Macau Grand Prix is the diversity of its race programme, and this year is no exception with a further six races for a wide variety of racing machinery and drivers. When the Macau Grand Prix Committee develops the schedule, we have two criteria – quality and variety, and this year’s line-up meets these admirably.
We are pleased to announce that the ever-popular Group N 2000cc race for Hong Kong drivers will have a new sponsor this year, and will be known as the Macao 2007, 2nd Indoor Games Cup. The exciting new games, the second edition of which Macau will host, were created by the Olympic Council of Asia and include a wide variety of sports.
Enthusiastic Grand Prix supporter Hotel Fortuna is once again the title sponsor of the 10-lap race for Macau racing licence holders, while the CTM Cup will once again provide a testing ground for the region’s top Super Production saloon car racers.
The 2005 Asian Formula Renault Challenge will provide a showcase for Asia’s most promising young single seater racers, while the final round of the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia’s 2005 season will give sportscar racing fans a treat.
The Macau Grand prix Committee Scooters Cup Race, now in its 3rd year, will again give the people who have played such a major role in making the Grand Prix what it is today – the residents of Macau – a chance to participate in the event itself.
We are pleased that this year visitors and residents alike will have the opportunity to see a selection of some of the most impressive sportscars in Asia today with a special parade on Sunday. The cars include a pair of Ferrari Enzos and Porsche Carrera GTs, a Maserati MC12, a Pagani Zonda, and a Porsche GT-1. The cars will also be on display from November 14 to 19 at the Tower Plaza.
Last year, we introduced two changes to the format of the schedule, both of which proved extremely successful and will therefore remain this year: The Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – Hotel Fortuna will once again be run on Saturday afternoon which I am sure will be good news to all two-wheeled racing fans. The Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix will retain it’s very successful new “look” with a 10-lap Qualification Race on Saturday afternoon, just prior to the Motorcycle GP, with the Grand Prix itself run over 15 laps on Sunday afternoon as the grand finale of the weekend.
New this year will be the adoption of the new Formula 1 regulations for the procedure in the case of a red flag. Instead of returning to the pits when the red flag is waved, the car competitors will be stopped at the nearest practical point from where the race will be re-started under the Safety Car for one lap. There is no doubt that this will assist the smooth and continuous running of the programme, and enhance the viewing pleasure of both spectators and television viewers alike. And with more than 1,390 minutes of on-track action scheduled, it will certainly help the race officials to keep the programme running on time!
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The Macau Grand Prix is a Formula 3 event, attracting more than 20,000 motor-racing fans from around the world for this high-octane three-day event.
Each November more than 300 racing drivers and riders descend on Macau. Join them to see and experience a street circuit race meeting featuring both car and motorcycle races. Reserve your hotels here.
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