Slater, Al Dhaheri gear up for Guia circuit challenge

Freddie Slater and Rashid Al Dhaheri are two of the three racers that compose the armada with which SJM Theodore Prema Racing aims to vie for the title in the FIA FR World Cup this year.

Returning to Macau, the racers shared their thoughts on the challenges of the Guia Circuit and their goals for participating in the 72nd Macau Grand Prix.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the exhibition “A Racing Legacy – SJM Theodore Racing Interactive Exhibition” hosted at the Macao Grand Prix Museum, Al Dhaheri said, “Every time you come back, you just try to go faster and closer to the walls without getting too close to them. That’s the game,” he said, adding that the fact that there is no margin for mistakes makes each driver focus on ‘maximizing all the lap time you can get, and just go for it.’

On this point, Slater remarked, “I think it’s [about] staying humble in the first couple of laps, not trying to attack the track too much, because it will bite you. It’s an all-in type of track, so we’ve got to try and get stuck in and take it lap by lap.”

Adding to the idea expressed by Al Dhaheri, Slater noted that the goal is always to go faster than before, and for that, you need to be as close as possible to the walls “because that’s where the racing is.”

Still, he remarked that the approach to the Guia Circuit “is a little different from every other track that we race at,” stating that, contrary to other tracks, the secret for a good race in Macau is to be patient and consistently improve rather than immediately testing the limits of the car and the track in the first few laps out from the pits.

Starting yesterday, and on display until February next year, the exhibition, which results from a collaboration between SJM and the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), aims to provide more detailed information and insight into the backstage operations of a racing team, including the different posts and their work, so that drivers can achieve their desired success on track.

At the inauguration ceremony, the deputy director of MGTO, Jennifer Si Tou, remarked that the exhibition will run until next February, covering major festive holidays, including Christmas, New Year’s Day, and the Spring Festival.

The same official stated that MGTO hopes to capitalize on the racing weekend and the festive season that follows to seize the opportunity to implement development strategies for sustainable economic diversification.

Leong closes participation in LSTWF with a DNF

Absent from the exhibition inauguration was local racer Charles Leong, the third entry from SJM Theodore Prema Racing in the FIA FR World Cup, who had made a notable presence at the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals (LSTWF), which took place over the weekend at the Misano Adriatico circuit in Italy.

After a perfect start earlier in the week with wins in both races of the Season Finale of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, the duo composed of Leong and Alex Denning at the wheel of the SJM Theodore Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 ended their participation in the LSTWF with a modest result after an 11th-place finish in Race 1 on Saturday and retirement (DNF) from Race 2.

In the end, the duo composed of Danny Formal and Hampus Ericsson (Wayne Taylor Racing) was crowned champions in the Pro category. At the same time, Egor Orudzhev and Shota Abkhazava (Art-Line Team) took the laurels in the Pro-Am category.

Last but not least, the winners in the Am category were Massimo Ciglia and Pietro Perolini, representing the Oregon team.