Skeptics may mock an official plan to promote tourism in northern Macao, but while the area isn’t pretty, it is – indisputably – the city’s heart.
The biggest news about the Macau Grand Prix this year is, of course, the debut of Formula Regional (FR) cars. Although they may be unfamiliar to local spectators, FR drives were launched globally in 2018.
The cars are uniquely suited to Macao, which has always been about exciting motorsport within the confines of a genuine street circuit. The 2019 and 2023 Formula 3 (F3) events saw cars reaching speeds of around 300 km/h at the infamous Lisboa Bend, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. However, some drivers voiced concerns about the cars being “too fast.” By essentially using the F3 specs from 2018, FR rides offer the same thrills – but safely. As Davide de Gobbi, the general manager at Top Speed China, explains, it’s “just a name change.”
De Gobbi, whose firm supplies FR cars and technical support to the Grand Prix, took some time out with Macao-based photojournalist Eduardo Leal, explaining the specifications of an FR car from engines and aerodynamics to braking systems.
Leal’s images capture the FR cars in all their gleaming beauty.
The guide to Macao’s best murals was published in early June and features work by local and international artists
One of the most colourful Philippine festivals Sinulog emerges from a pandemic hiatus in a burst of energy and colour.
The closure of one of Macao’s oldest restaurants, A Vencedora, has saddened not only local diners but many visitors from all over the world who passed through its doors.
Macao has spent 2023 fighting back from the economic and emotional ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Macau Grand Prix is setting the seal on the city’s comeback.
Speculation over the future of the Macau Jockey Club is rife. Photographer Eduardo Leal went to the final day of racing season at an establishment that has seen better days.
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