Our Desk | Is F3 World Cup, a potential ‘poison pill’ for Macau?

Renato Marques

The “debutante” Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee (MGPOC) announced earlier this month regarding the exit of Motor Race Consultant’s Barry Bland that the “status of this year’s Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix is now officially elevated to FIA F3 World Cup.”
According to the same committee, “Macau has many years’ experience staging major motorsport events, and its organizational skills have received praise from the FIA. The trust established has led to Macau’s selection as host of the FIA F3 World Cup.”
Well, I cannot really say this is not true but, as I mentioned in a previous article in this very same column, sometimes this can both good and bad: “it is just a matter of perspective.”
I do understand the need of the MGPOC to “pour oil in troubled waters” as this year’s edition is a major event of the region, one of the “synonyms” of Macau, and the organization has not been running smoothly to say the least.
In my opinion, while acknowledging the grandeur of the title, there are a few facts to be considered.
First, allow me to briefly address the fact highlighted by the MGPOC regarding the compliments of the international motorsports over to the organization of the event.
Not putting in question the honesty of such a statement, this praise happens obviously and mostly due to the work of those like Bland, who worked for over 30 years with the organizing committee. To deny the value added by Bland and many others, locals and non-locals alike, who have contributed enormously for 62 years prior to this one that the event has run, is not only unfair, it is also dangerous.
Secondly and of equal importance is to mention that the so-called “elevation” of the race to “World Cup,” also enclosures what I have decided to name a “potentially poisoned gift.”
The fact that the race moved from “Intercontinental Cup” to “World Cup” in reality does not change much, certainly nothing in terms of the practicalities for the teams that will be present in the region. The same does not apply to the drivers because although it can feature more of the “talents of the future”, this will (in theory) consequently block the participation of some of the more experienced drivers on the Guia Circuit. In that way, and without wanting to depreciate any of the drivers, I would say that becomes a more “Junior” level race than the ones that we are used to.
More importantly is the fact that contrary to what happened before with FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup which was an exclusive competition raced in Macau, the newly created FIA Formula 3 World Cup might not be quite so exclusive. In fact, as was already reported, it is understood that the new strategy is part of a bid to establish a new World Cup series to be raced at the end of 2017’s season that comprises not one Macau race but two, in which itis taken for granted that Macau will be one of them .
Until when will this happen? That’s the “million dollar” question that nobody seems to be able to answer.
Although it is clear, or it should be, that this “special status ” that Macau is benefiting from might end in the long run or even as soon as 2018.
In that way I would say that instead of “sweetening a pill” that might in fact turn to be “poisonous,” the MGPOC should be seriously concerned and should be working on new ways to develop the Grand Prix to at least keep the level of competition and interest, which is clearly not happening now.