The Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee (MGPOC) is still hoping that is possible for the Grand Prix to return to its pre-pandemic format, where the international races had the spotlight and Macau benefitted from the international exposure of the event, said the president of the Sports Bureau (ID) and coordinator of MGPOC, Pun Weng Kun, on the sidelines of a meeting of the Sports Council, held yesterday morning.
“The Grand Prix is an international icon and it’s also a round of FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile). We have all the conditions to organize the event and to host the F3 World Cup. We are in dialogue with the FIA and we hope that the ‘[FIA-]branded competitions’ can return but this is dependent on the pandemic,” Pun said, adding, “As an organizing committee, we are paying great attention to this issue and we will put all our effort into it and keep in close and friendly contact with the federation to continue to organize this type of races.”
The coordinator of the MGPOC added that preparations for this year’s 68th Grand Prix started immediately after the conclusion of last year’s event, noting that both the government of the MSAR and the ID have high hopes of hosting this year’s competition and returning the format closer to what it was pre-pandemic.
“We hope that everything goes well and that, at the time, we can find added stability in terms of the pandemic so we can organize the event according to how it was before [the Covid-19 pandemic],” Pun said, adding, “We all hope that the team and drivers can come to Macau and that we can continue to organize this event in Macau.”
Pun reaffirmed that the only possible impediment for the return of FIA-labeled events, including the F3, the Touring Car Series (TCR), and the GT World Cup, is the Covid-19 situation abroad. He also expressed hope that as time goes by, the situation will become more under control worldwide and allow foreign drivers to participate.
“I believe that a little bit later and according to the pandemic situation abroad [we can have a final decision]. This is an international event with foreign drivers. We hope to have a clear decision [later in the year] so we can inform the press,” Pun concluded, remarking that the GP is adds value to Macau and its main purpose is to promote Macau abroad. “The main goal of the GP is sports tourism, and it is part of a long-term plan that we hope can help to draw international attention and visitation.”
As the Times reported earlier this week, the FIA has included the F3 World Cup in Macau in the international racing calendar. It was included after a meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sports Council last Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, being such an event conditional to a contract to be inked with the local promoter.
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