Motorsports | Big names drop out of Macau Motorcycle GP

Martin Jessopp

Although the entry list for this year’s Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix is not yet known, important names in the road racing scene have already publicly expressed they will not be returning for the 53rd GP, to the surprise of many fans.

The first person to state this was the British rider Danny Webb, who announced last Friday that he had “parted ways with [the] Penz13.com team,” noting that the decision would mean his withdrawal from this year’s Macau Grand Prix.

Webb had been racing under the German-based team since 2016 and had competed in several road racing events, namely at the Isle of Man TT and the Macau Grand Prix. He took the 2018 title at the International Road Racing Championship and just missed out on a podium finish in Macau, finishing fourth racing under the MGM by Penz13 team.

Yesterday, another famous figure of road racing and the Macau GP also announced that he would not race in Macau anymore.

In a short statement published on social media, Martin Jessop, one of the all-time favorites to win the GP said there “was a strange feeling of mixed emotions on that podium [in 2018] as I knew deep down this was going to be my last Macau Grand Prix. I have some amazing memories from that special race I will never forget.”

The racer posted the caption with a photo of him standing on the podium after finishing third in 2018, making it his sixth podium finish in the Guia Race.

However, that is not all, according to one insider consulted by the Times. The number of important names dropping out of the event this year may shock observers, when the list of entrants is finally revealed by the GP organizing committee by the end of the week.

“There are several important teams that currently have no riders available,” said the road racing expert, who is familiar with the teams.

The expert let slip that Tak Chun Group by PBM Ducati, in which Jessop was supposed to race alongside road racing legend John McGuiness, was “one of those [teams].”

Questioned by the Times on the reasons for the marked number of important dropouts, the insider, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “As far as I know [the issue] is regarding budget.”

The source of the problem could be a “change in the agreements” between the Macau GP Organizing Committee, the teams and riders, and a potential middleman of whom he did not disclose the name.