The annual Macau Grand Prix, for which this year’s Formula 3 race has been elevated to FIA F3 World Cup status for the first time, will be held from November 17-20, the Macau Grand Prix Organising Committee (COGPM) announced on Thursday.
This is the 63rd year that the event will be held and the second time Macau has held the FIA GT World Cup.
The races will also include the 50th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix and Macau Guia Race.
According to a statement released by the committee, the event attracts more than 200 racing drivers and riders to Macau every November. The organisers said the exact number of competitors next month was not yet known.
Addressing Thursday’s press conference at the Macau Fishermen’s Wharf, Macau Grand Prix Organising Committee Co-ordinator Pun Weng Kun, who is also the president of the Sports Bureau (ID), said the elevation in status of the FIA Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix illustrated FIA’s high degree of confidence in Macau’s ability to stage important international sporting events.
International Automobile Federation (FIA) Director – Championships on Circuits Frederic Bertrand said on the sidelines of the press conference that Macau was able to host the FIA F3 World Cup because “FIA started to work with Macau in 2012”.
He described co-operation between the local organisers and FIA as “smooth”.
“Macau can become a place where we have all the best drivers,” Bertrand said.
Asked about the possibility of organising the FIA F3 World Cup in Macau next year, Bertrand said: “Let’s go step by step,” adding that he expected this year’s event to be better than before because of the many high-level competitors participating.
The 50th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix will see last year’s winner Peter Hickman once again trying to prevent eight-time winner Michael Rutter from reaching the elusive ninth win.
Two-time Formula 3 Champion Felix Rosenqvist winner of last year Guia Circuit F3 will return again this year.
Rosenqvist will partner with Nick Cassidy and Maximilian Gunther at local flag team Theodore Racing.
Another unexpected return will be of Daniel Juncadella (2011 winner) replacing British-born Ben Barnicoat.
Meanwhile, asked by reporters on the sidelines of the press conference about the budget of the event, Pun said that it was about 200 million patacas, which was similar to the last year’s, adding that the ticket prices will not be raised.
This year’s ticket prices on race days range from 130 to 900 patacas.(Macau News/The Macau Post Daily)
