No surprises expected for 69th Macau Grand Prix
No surprises are expected for the 69th edition of the Macau Grand Prix, set to hit the roads of the Guia circuit this November. With a racing line-up potentially subject to the same or very similar Covid-19 restrictions as last year, the event this year should feature the same line-up as last year, racing season calendars hint.
Although the Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee (MGPOC) has not yet released any official information on this year’s event, apart from a confirmation that it will take place, racing calendars, namely in China, have been hinting at the racing categories that are expected to take place.
After several delays and postponements, the TCR Asia Series is finally moving forward from this week with a double round at Hunan’s Zhuzhou Circuit starting today (July 28), which extends over the weekend until July 31, with a total of four races to be held.
In a championship with a total of six rounds, all on Chinese soil, the competition’s final races are to be held in Macau in November under the banner of the once famous Macau Guia Race for touring cars.
The return of the TCR Asia series could also mark the return to local races of local driver Rodolfo Ávila, who will debut this year in the brand-new MG5 XPower TCR series.
As for the emblematic Formula 3 race, it seems it will again be replaced by the Formula 4 (F4) Chinese Championship this year, whose championship will be composed of four rounds in a total of 14 races.
The Shell Helix FIA F4 Chinese Championship is expected to commence on the weekend of August 19-21 at China’s most famous Shanghai International Circuit, which will host the first of three quadruple heads.
The season finale will take place in Macau with the last round and the only two-race weekend of the season.
Bigger questions have been raised regarding the participants from the Macau GT Cup event. Over the last few years, the number of GT racing categories has multiplied and gained momentum, but since last season, the GT China Championship seems to have lost its glow. The only major GT championship confirmed to take place this year in Asia is the 2022 Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia, a high-ranked championship but one with no scheduled stop in Macau, with all the six rounds taking place in Malaysia, Japan, and Indonesia.
However, since the last round of the championship will take place at Indonesia’s new Mandalika International Street Circuit on the weekend of October 21-23, it is possible that arrangements can be made to bring some of these cars and racers to the local GP in November as an invitational race outside of a regular championship.
If so, racing fans in Macau might be able to see some famous names of local and national motorsports in action such as China’s David Pun, Hong Kong’s Shaun Thong and Marchy Lee, or Taiwan’s Brian Lee, among others.
As for the local races, no changes are expected to take place, with the Macau Touring Car Cup for 1.6 Turbo touring cars and the Macau Challenge Cup for over 1,950cc touring cars likely to take place in the same format as last year.
