A hectic day at the 2024 Macau Grand Prix, and it’s only Friday. From multiple red flags – a common sight in Macao – to former champions taking over the Guia Circuit yet again.
The day was set to start with the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, but was cancelled due to a wet Guia Circuit. All the practice sessions, qualifying and final races have been moved to tomorrow.
The first qualifying session was the Macau Roadsport Challenge, where the race ended with a red flag. It was a wet morning with Macanese driver Jerónimo Badaraco coming on top, followed by Macao’s Lei Kit Meng and Hong Kong driver Chan Chak Yin.
In the Greater Bay Area GT Cup (GT4) qualifying, the top three were China’s Deng Yi and Han Lichao in first and second respectively, and Australian Lo Ka Chun in third. The top three in Macau Roadsport were Hong Kong’s Damon Chan, Macao’s Cheang Kin Sang and another Hong Kong driver Loo Long Yin. For the qualifying two of the Macau Guia Race – Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Event of Macau, the top three were Sweden’s Thed Björk, Spain’s Mikel Azcona and Frenchmen Yann Ehrlacher.
Here’s a closer look at the Macau Grand Prix’s featured races:
Raffaele Marciello hunting for more
In the 30-minute FIA GT World Cup qualifying session, Raffaele Marciello of Switzerland claimed the top spot, with Belgium’s Dries Vanthoor and Germany’s Maro Engel following in second and third respectively. Marciello, a former two-time Macau Grand Prix champion, showcased his skills at the Guia Circuit but says the drivers were not able to show their full potential after an early stoppage with just one stint.
“For sure it’s not been an easy two days for us since the condition was tricky,” he said during the press conference. “We did well in the first stint, but it’s a long weekend and we know how important it is to start in front in Macao.”
The qualifying ended with four minutes of the race left after Germany’s Luca Engstler hit the barriers with his Lamborghini before heading towards Lisboa Bend. Race control was forced to end the session early as debris spread on the track.
Edoardo Mortara, commonly known as “Mr Macau”, was disappointed after coming in 11th place. The Swiss driver came in second place last year and is hoping for a better and quicker start during the qualification race tomorrow at 1:50 pm.
Red flags galore at Formula Regional qualifying
The Formula Regional saw intense action and multiple disruptions. For the qualifying race tomorrow, McLaren junior driver Ugo Ugochukwu starts in pole position, followed by Danish-German Oliver Goethe and Mexican Noel Léon.
“By far the most intense qualifying session I’ve ever had,” said 17-year-old Ugochukwu at the press conference. “To get to the end, I’m super happy, especially on such a special circuit. Really happy to be on pole.”
The qualifying session got off to a rocky start, with Japan’s Rintaro Sato crashing into the barrier and prompting a red flag just minutes in. SJM Theodore Prema drivers Alex Dunne and Dino Beganovic were unable to see through the turn and collided with Sato’s car ahead.
Just a few minutes later, another red flag was waved as Ferrari Academy driver Tuukka Taponen crashed at the Moorish corner. While accidents are common at the infamous Lisboa Bend, Moorish proved more challenging this year.
[See more: Unsettled weather keeps many away from the Macau Grand Prix’s first day]
After completing the first full lap, Noel Léon, Freddie Slater, and Oliver Goethe held the top three positions.
Chaos continued with a third red flag at the 20-minute mark when Jin Nakamura, then in 10th place, lost a wheel after hitting the barrier near lap completion.
Immediately after the restart, a fourth red flag emerged due to repairs at the pit entry barrier. By then, the top positions were occupied by Goethe, Ugo Ugochukwu, and Léon – all of who raced at Macao’s Formula 3 event last year.
Ugochukwu led following the restart, with Goethe second and Mari Boya third. A fifth red flag was called when Rikuto Kobayashi crashed at Fisherman’s Bend with 13 minutes left.
The session was disrupted once again when James Wharton, the European Formula Regionals runner-up, clipped the wall and brought out the sixth red flag. His teammate Evan Giltaire was blinded and hit his car, blocking the circuit. Drivers returned to the pits with nine minutes remaining.
Goethe briefly reclaimed the lead with strong sectors, but Ugochukwu soon surpassed him with faster laps. Léon held third with three minutes to go. A seventh and final red flag ended the session after Jet Bowling crashed into the barriers.
