FHO with strong lineup to storm the podium

Racing in Macau for the first time as FHO Racing, the team owned by Faye Ho, the granddaughter of late tycoon Stanley Ho, comes geared up to dominate this year’s Motorcycle GP.

Besides the nine-time champion Michael Rutter and the three (and a half) time Macau winner Peter Hickman, the FHO squad is completed by Australian Josh Brookes.

Although Brookes is a newbie to Macau and will certainly need some adaptation, the 40-year-old has a vast amount of racing experience in several categories, especially in the World Superbike as well as the British Superbike Championships.

If all goes according to plan, Brookes will likely try to follow his teammates on track for the first few laps before launching himself in an attempt to outdo them.

Still, to have a one-two-three for FHO Racing at the end of the race would not be unheard of for anyone familiar with the skills of the three riders and the pristine machinery they will be riding around Guia Circuit.

Rutter, Hickman, and Brookes will be all riding identical M1000RR BMWs with some tweaks here and there, tailored to each rider’s particular style and taste.

With that said, you should certainly keep an eye out for numbers 8, 88, and 888 on track over the weekend as they are ready to put on a show.

If asked to pick a favorite we would certainly put our money on Hickman. He has proven to be the fastest rider currently around Guia and he is in great form, as he showed recently in June this year at Isle of Man TT, when he set a new outright lap record on the Mountain course.

Potential contenders to this theoretical hegemony are last year’s winner, Erno Kostamo, and runner-up, David Datzer, both also riding BMWs.

With the absence of some usual names from the race, there will be much interest in what other names can do, such as Manx Grand Prix winners Rob Hodson and Michael Evans and the TT podium finisher, Paul Jordan.

Hodson will be riding a Honda CBR1000RR-R from SMT Racing, while Evans comes with the Suzuki GSXR1000 that he used in the RST Superbike, RL360 Superstock, and Milwaukee Senior races at the TT. Jordan will be in another BMW, but like Kostamo, in an S1000RR.

Returning to Macau also is the only female rider of last year, Nadieh Schoots, who placed in 12th and last position last year. She returns with Basomba Racing Yamaha, riding an R1.

Another returning rider, the Swiss Lukas Maurer, who was one of the fast adapting and fast racers on his debut last year (finished 4th), may also bring about a surprise result.

Maurer will be riding the very same Kawasaki ZX10R as last year.