Organizers claim racing program changes reflect weather and track conditions

The Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee (MGPOC) claims that the racing program changes and adjustments for the 72nd edition of the Macau Grand Prix (GP) are related to several factors, including weather changes and circuit conditions.

In a written response to the Times, the MGPOC said, “When scheduling the race program for this year’s races, the MGPOC must take into account various factors such as weather changes and circuit conditions to ensure the safety of the event.”

Concerning the potential drop of top competitors from the motorcycle race, the MGPOC did not wish to comment, noting that “registration procedures for drivers and riders in this year’s races are now proceeding in an orderly manner.”

The committee also added that the race program and entries for this year’s GP “are currently being finalized and will be announced in due course.”

As the Times reported last week, several top names in the road racing scene and the local GP were said to be considering turning down the MGPOC’s invitations to participate in this year’s edition.

The Times learned from sources close to the matter that changes to the motorcycle race regulations, including reduced track time and other adjustments that could pose potential budgetary concerns, were under consideration.

Despite previous concerns, the 57th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix regulations, published by the Automobile General Association Macao-China (AAMC), clearly state, “There will be one free practice of 60 minutes and one qualifying practice of 60 minutes.”

The same rules add, “There will be a warm-up session on race day of 20 minutes,” establishing that the race will cover 12 laps or a maximum of 45 minutes.

The rules continue to state clearly in Article 4.5 that “No practices or race will take place in wet or damp conditions.”

Last year, the weather greatly affected the event, with heavy rain and strong winds striking Macau in the days leading up to the race.

After several cancellations and reschedules, the race was finally set for early Sunday morning (Nov. 17) instead of Saturday afternoon as initially planned.

However, the heavy rain that fell overnight continued into Sunday morning, leading to the final cancellation of the event. The only action on track occurred during the qualifying session on Saturday morning.

As a result, the organizers decided to award the win based on the results from that session, an unusual decision that left many confused but ultimately attributed last year’s win to Davey Todd.