Tiago Rodrigues confirms participation at the FR World Cup

Macau racer Tiago Rodrigues has confirmed his participation in this year’s edition of the Macau Grand Prix. He will compete in the first-ever FIA Formula Regional (FR) World Cup.

The young local driver, who won the 2023 FIA Chinese Formula 4 (F4), took part in last year’s Macau Grand Prix in the Macau F4 race for the first time. He is now gearing up for his debut at an FIA World Cup event, where he will be racing with Evans GP team.

Rodrigues will team up with Cooper Webster, who will be also racing at this year’s GP under the same banner.

Like his teammate, this will be Rodrigues’ first time competing in this class, facing strong competition from drivers who have been racing in FR throughout the season. It is also expected that some of this year’s competitors to be racers with an accumulated experience of more than one season in this category.

Nonetheless, Rodrigues remains optimistic, relying on valuable lessons from last year’s track experience.

Last year, Rodrigues secured a top-six finish in a final race won by British racer Arvid Lindblad.

The local racer last month raced with the team at the Sepang Round of the Australian F4 Championship, where he impressed with a pole position and a race victory.

“I’m really looking forward to racing with Evans GP again at the Macau GP FR World Cup,” Rodrigues said.

“Having raced in Macau last year in the F4 races, I know how challenging the circuit is. Stepping up to Formula Regional will be tough, especially with the level of competition, but I’m ready to push myself and learn as much as I can. Racing in front of my home crowd makes this race even more special, and I can’t wait to represent Macau once again,” he said.

Joshua Evans, team manager of Evans GP, added, “We’re very pleased to welcome Tiago [Rodrigues] back to the team for the Macau GP Formula Regional World Cup. His performance in Sepang, where he secured pole position and a race win, shows the potential he brings. Moving up to Formula Regional will be a big step, especially with the experienced drivers he’ll be competing against, but his previous experience in Macau will certainly help him. It’s always special to race in front of your home fans, and we’re confident he’ll give his best effort.”