Macao’s most prestigious sporting event will boast seven races next month, with the headline battle being its first foray into Formula Regional (FR) racing: the inaugural Macau Grand Prix – FIA FR World Cup, the only Formula event to be held in the SAR this year.
The Sports Bureau revealed the competitor lineup in a statement yesterday. Some of the world’s best junior drivers will be joining homegrown racer Tiago Rodrigues – winner of the 2023 Chinese F4 Championship and racing with Evans GP – on the Guia Circuit to contest the inaugural FR title. SJM Theodore Prema Racing are bringing Sweden’s Dino Beganovic, fresh from the FIA Formula 3 Championship and winner of the 2022 FR Championship. Ireland’s Alex Dunne, who also competed in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and won the 2022 F4 British Championship, will be taking part, alongside British racer Freddie Slater, winner of this year’s Italian F4 Championship.
Other talents to look out for in the FR race include this year’s Middle East champion Tuukka Taponen, for R-ace GP; 2023 French F4 champion Evan Giltaire, for ART Grand Prix; Formula 2 racer Oliver Goethe, for MP Motorsport; the 2023 F4 Spanish champion Theophile Nael, for Sainteloc Racing; and winner of the 2023 F4 Japanese Championship, Rikuto Kobayashi, for TOM’S Formula.
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The Macau GT Cup – FIA GT Cup also has a formidable line-up, with last year’s winner – Swiss-Italian pro Raffaele Marciello – returning to defend his title in a BMW. Another Swiss-Italian, Edoardo Mortara, known as “Mr Macao” for his numerous victories in the SAR, will be looking for a fifth GT win on the Guia Circuit in a Lamborghini Huracán GT3. Germany’s Maro Engel is another regular winner in Macao, seeking his fourth title here in a Mercedes.
Other former Macau GT Cup winners returning include Chinese Ye Hongli and Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor, both driving Porsches, and Brazil’s Augusto Farfus in a BMW. Former F3 Macau Grand Prix winner Daniel Juncadella, from Spain, will also be in the mix.
Drivers signed up for Macau Guia Race – Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Event of Macau include the UK’s Rob Huff, the most successful driver in Macau Guia Race’s history with nine wins to his name; last year’s TCR World Tour winner and current points leader Norbert Michelisz, from Hungary; and Argentina’s Esteban Guerrieri, currently second in points.
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Meanwhile, the 56th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix will include last year’s winner Peter Hickman, seeking his fifth win on the Guia Circuit; nine-time winner Michael Rutter; and 2023 runner-up Davey Todd. All from the UK, the racers will be competing for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad squad. The 2022 winner, Erno Kostamo from Finland, will also be racing.
The Sports Bureau has not yet confirmed who will be racing in the Greater Bay Area GT Cup (GT4), the Macau Roadsport Challenge and the Macau Roadsport – Macao SAR Establishment Cup.
Tickets for the Macau Grand Prix go on sale at 10 am today, with prices ranging between 400 and 1,200 patacas, depending on viewing location. The races are scheduled to take place over four days, from 14 to 17 November.
