‘Season Finale’ goes down to the wire in Macau

The FIA TCR World Tour event in Macau will once again embody the spirit of the famous Macau Guia Race for touring cars.

In an updated format, the world’s top TCR drivers and machines have gathered in Macau for the highly anticipated “Season Finale.”

After seven events – featuring 21 races and seven point-scoring qualifying sessions – that began in May in Mexico City, the kings of touring cars now battle for their final standings and the laurels of the 2025 championship at the Guia Circuit.

The Guia Race promises its trademark spectacle in a shorter format than other World Tour rounds, consisting of two races and one point-earning qualifying session. Teams and drivers will likely keep their calculators handy this weekend as they track where they stand – and what they need – to secure their final championship positions.

Leading the charge is Yann Ehrlacher, who currently tops the standings with a 34-point advantage over his Lynk & Co. Cyan Racing teammate Thed Björk.

Unless disaster strikes, Ehrlacher is expected to be crowned the 2025 TCR World Tour champion in Macau.

Aside from Ehrlacher, only his teammate Björk remains mathematically in contention for the title. Another Guia Circuit race winner, Esteban Guerrieri, who heads the GOAT Racing pursuit pack, was officially ruled out of championship contention after the Zhuzhou round.

In another Lynk & Co. entry, Santiago Urrutia sits fourth in the championship. Although no longer in the title fight, he still has a solid chance of finishing on the podium, trailing Guerrieri by just 20 points.

Norbert Michelisz, last year’s champion, is also out of contention to defend his crown. His dramatic championship-clinching victory in Macau last season will not be repeated this year, though he remains a strong contender for race wins this weekend.

As in previous editions, the TCR field includes several drivers outside the World Tour. Among them is Hong Kong’s Lo Sze Ho, the 2022 Macau Guia Race runner-up, who will once again campaign a Hyundai i30 N TCR. Always quick around Guia, Lo also captured the 2023 TCR Asia Challenge title.

Other entrants joining the grid include Andy Liang and Reignbert Diwa in a pair of Hyundai Elantra N TCRs, as well as Sean Chang in an Audi RS 3 LMS TCR, who was recently crowned 2025 TCR Asia Series champion.

Other top finishers from the Asia Series will also compete in Macau, including Benny Santoso, who will run another Elantra N TCR.

TCR cars will hit the track today for two consecutive qualifying sessions, beginning 10 minutes past noon and lasting one hour in total.

On Saturday, Race 1 (10 laps) will get underway around 1:30 p.m., followed by Race 2 (10 laps) at 11 a.m. on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on this year’s TCR World Tour and revealing all the champions.