Tiago Rodrigues
Formula 4 (F4) will be taking part once again of this year’s two-weekend celebratory program of the 70th edition of the Macau Grand Prix event.
Initially introduced in 2020 when Covid-19 restrictions made hosting the “Queen of Races” (Formula 3) impossible, the F4 race is poised for its best-ever year, even if the return of the FIA F3 World Cup, featuring some of the rising stars of the sport, has stolen some of its “thunder.”
Unlike previous years, the Macau F4 Race will not be featuring the Chinese F4 series but, instead, will be included in the revival of the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship, with the special addition of some local and talented young bloods and a few experienced Asian racers.
Notable among them are the local two-time winner of the race, Charles Leong, and the rising Philippines star Bianca Bustamante.
Although it will be the first time for Bustamante on Guia Circuit, the 18-year-old Filipino national has been racing in Macau (on Karting) from a young age and has been coached by famous names of local and international racing panorama such as Hong Kong’s Darryl O’Young.
Bianca Bustamante
Currently participating in several worldwide championships and series, including the inaugural F1 Academy series, Bustamante has won Asian karting championship races in Macau (at the Coloane Karting Circuit) several times, being a constant presence in the region at the beginning of her career.
She will race in Macau under the BlackArts Racing colors in an all-female team that includes Hong Kong racer Vivian Siu.
Another important addition to the entry list of the 2023 Macau F4 Race is the extremely talented rookie, Tiago Rodrigues.
Racing under the colors of Asia Racing Team, Rodrigues aims to show his skills following a season, at the Chinese F4 Championship, first, and the 2023 F4 South East Asia Championship, later, that have delivered nothing but success.
Although it is the first time Rodrigues has ventured into the F4 category, he currently occupies the top spot in both championships and will be keen to go head-to-head with one of his mentors, Charles Leong, who will return once again to the Guia Circuit in F4 machinery with SJM Theodore PREMA Racing.
Quickly adapting to the slightly different F4 car, Rodrigues took the first round of the SEA Championship by storm, finishing on the podium in all three races held at the Zhuzhou International Circuit, China, with two second positions (one by demotion due to penalty after winning the race) and one third place.
To spice things up, another two top contenders at the SEA Championship, Australian Jack Beeton and Rodrigues’s teammate at ART, Kevin Xiao, will also be racing in Macau.
Beeton has won races 1 and 3 in the Zhuzhou round and Xiao won race 2 on the same weekend in consequence of a 10-second penalty given to Rodrigues for causing a collision.
Other names to look out for include UK racers Arvid Lindblad and Freddie Slater racing with Leong at SJM Theodore PREMA Racing, as well as the Taiwanese Ethan Ho and Enzo Yeh.
Japanese Miki Koyama and Ryuji Kumita also join the group of racers with enough experience to make this race unpredictable and one not to be missed.
F4 goes on track from 7:45 a.m. on Nov. 11 for the Free Practice followed by the Qualifying session scheduled at 3:45 p.m.
Two races are scheduled for Sunday (Nov. 12), a Qualifying Race (8 laps) starting at 8 a.m. and the Final Race (12 laps) at 3:40 p.m.
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