ISSUE 1 | 2018 Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 World Cup Former Macau Grand Prix drivers and riders continue to succeed in virtually and Mick Schumacher, son of Macau Grand every motorsport discipline. Here’s a roundup of what Macao graduates, as Prix winner and F1 legend Michael. well as those who could well be heading to the Guia Circuit this November, have been up to. In the second and third qualifying sessions of the weekend it was the championship’s rookie drivers who shone, with Prema driver Robert Shvartzman securing pole for Round 8 and teammate Armstrong on pole for the final race. Round 8 saw Motopark’s Jüri Vips of Estonia take victory ahead of Armstrong and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Keyvan Soori Andres. While Vips celebrated his maiden championship win, Armstrong, with his fourth podium finish of the year, soared to the top of the leaderboard. Victory in Round 9 belonged to Ticktum, who won his second race of the season ahead of Vips and Armstrong. Armstrong led at the start, but an incident on the opening lap brought out the Safety Car before the race was red-flagged after 10 laps. The race resumed behind the Safety Car was called out again just after releasing the field. Just before a third Safety Car period, Ticktum took the lead and, when racing resumed for the final time, the Red Bull junior driver successfully defended ABOVE: THE FIA FORMULA 3 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP HELD THREE RACES AT THE NORISRING his lead. A charging Vips got past Armstrong to finish second. FIA Formula 3 European Championship New Zealand’s Marcus Armstrong leads Ralf Aron of Estonia, who finished third on the FIA FORMULA 3 the FIA Formula 3 European Championship podium at the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP following Rounds 7-9 last month at Germany’s last year. Top 5 after Round 9 Norisring. The rookie driver, who is backed POS DRIVER TEAM PTS by the Ferrari Formula 1 team, has a lead Making his debut at the 2.3km Norisring, 1 Marcus Armstrong Prema Theodore Racing 101 of a single point over Briton Dan Ticktum Armstrong took pole position for the first of 2 Daniel Ticktum Motopark 100 of Motopark, winner of the 2017 Formula 3 the weekend’s three races. He converted that Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 World Cup. Third advantage into a race win, a lights-to-flag 3 Enaam Ahmed Hitech GP 87 in the drivers classification is Briton Enaam victory ending with an almost three second 4 Zhou Guanyu Prema Theodore Racing 79 Ahmed, with Zhou Guanyu of China fourth advantage over Aron. Carlin’s Jehan Daruvala 5 Ralf Aron Prema Theodore Racing 76.5 in the standings. Rounding out the top five is was third on the podium ahead of Ticktum Japanese Formula 3 Championship JAPANESE FORMULA 3 Kuo Team TOM’S driver Sho Tsuboi won the first five races of CHAMPIONSHIP the Japanese Formula 3 Championship, building a significant Top 5 after Round 6 26-point lead over teammate Ritomo Miyata, winner of POS DRIVER TEAM PTS Round 6 at the Fuji International Speedway at the weekend. 1 Sho Tsuboi Kuo Team TOM’S 66 The pair contested the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix last year and have dominated the Japanese series so far this season. 2 Ritomo Miyata Kuo Team TOM’S 40 3 Sena Sakaguchi Toda Racing 28 Third in the championship standings is Toda Racing driver 4 Ukyo Sasahara ThreeBond Racing 18 Sena Sakaguchi, while Ukyo Sasahara, runner-up in last season’s F4 Japanese Championship, lies fourth. 5 Toshiki Oyu Toda Racing 11 LEFT: SHO TSUBOI WON THE FIRST FIVE RACES OF THE SEASON (PHOTO/JAPAN F3 ASSOCIATION) Macau Grand Prix Bulletin ISSUE 1 | 2018 1 Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 52nd Edition Michael Dunlop, who raced at Macao in 2011, is now third on the all-time winners list. With wins in the Superbike, first Supersport and Lightweight classes, Dunlop now has 18 TT wins to his name. Hickman was also a winner of the Superstock and Harrison, who made his Guia Circuit debut in 2013, won the second Supersport race. Conor Cummins, who has raced eight times on the Guia Circuit, was second in the Superbike race and third in the Senior TT. North West 200 In the opening Supersport race in May 19 Alastair Seeley took a record 23rd win at the North West 200. Seeley won ahead of James Hillier and Johnston, who was third on the podium. Harrison was fourth, ahead of Dunlop and Rutter. Seeley made it win number 24 with a victory in the Superstock race, with Peter Hickman, second at Macao last year, finishing ABOVE AND BELOW: PETER HICKMAN CELEBRATES HIS NEW OUTRIGHT LAP RECORD AND runner-up and Harrison third on the podium. SENIOR TT WIN AT THE 2018 ISLE OF MAN TT Earlier in the week, Hickman celebrated his Said Hickman after the race: “What a tough first North West 200 victory in the opening race. Wow. Massive credit to Dean Harrison. Superstock race. While Seeley had taken He was so fast on the first two sectors, so I the lead on the third lap, Hickman took kept losing time there, but I knew I could eat the chequered flag with his move on the it back over the mountain and the later part last lap. of the course. I am so happy for everyone. I can’t thank the team and the sponsors enough. HICKMAN TOOK HIS INAUGURAL NORTH WEST Smith’s BMW has given me a mega bike; she’s 200 VICTORY THIS YEAR just sweet as a nut over that second half of the circuit. I knew it was all going to come down to that last lap and I had lost a little time due to backmarkers. But what an awesome end to such an emotional TT. Oh wow!” Isle of Man TT Two-time Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix Many Macao fan favourites found success at winner Peter Hickman became the fastest this year’s TT; eight-time Macau Motorcycle road rider in the world at this year’s Isle of Man Grand Prix winner Michael Rutter won the TT TT, setting a new outright lap record with an Zero race, setting a new race lap record of average speed of 135.452mph (approximately 121.824 mph. Rutter’s teammate Lee Johnston 218kph) on the 60.725km course and winning was third on the podium in the electric class. the Senior TT. Hickman set the record on the Rutter was also third on the podium in the final lap, defeating Dean Harrison by just Lightweight TT. two seconds. MICHAEL RUTTER WINS THE TT ZERO The Supertwins race saw Martin Jessopp, fourth at Macao last year, take his third North West win. British Superbike Championship Glenn Irwin finished runner-up in the opening race of the British Superbike Championship round at Snetterton earlier matching the result he earned earlier this year in April. Peter Hickman was seventh in the first race and finished sixth in the second race of the weekend. Irwin is fourth overall in the standings, while Hickman lies 11th. Macau Grand Prix Bulletin ISSUE 1 | 2018 2 Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup 24 Hours of Le Mans Macao F3 winner di Grassi lies third overall, ahead of former Macao Porsche GT Team drivers Laurens Vanthoor, Kévin Estre and Michael competitor Sébastien Buemi and two-time F3 Macau Grand Prix winner Christensen were this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans LMGTE Pro winners. Felix Rosenqvist, who made his Macau GT Cup debut last year. Vanthoor, who raced in the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix 4 times and won the Macau GT Cup in 2016, while Estre finished second in the Nürburgring 24 Hours same race. Two-time Macau GT Cup winner Maro Engel finished second in this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours alongside his Mercedes-AMG Team Black Falcon Several Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix alumni were at Le Mans this year, teammates. Other Macau GT Cup drivers who raced at the Nürburgring including 2006 winner Mike Conway, second overall at La Sarthe along showpiece included René Rast, who finished sixth ahead of Nico Müller with his teammates Kamui Kobayashi (an Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix in seventh and two-time Guia Race winner Augusto Farfus, in 13th. competitor in both 2006 and 2007) and José María López, winner of the Guia Race in 2014. DTM Last year’s Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup winner Edoardo Mortara F3 Macau Grand Prix driver in 2015 Antonio Giovinazzi, finished fifth in is currently second in this year’s DTM championship, behind points the LMGTE Pro class at Le Mans alongside AF Corse teammates Toni leader and fellow Mercedes driver Gary Paffett after the first eight races Vilander and Pipo Derani, third at Macao in 2013. of the season. FIA Formula E Championship In the most recent races at Norisring, Mortara claimed victory in the The FIA Formula E Championship field includes five former Macao opening race, winning ahead of Paffett and Wittmann. The weekend’s F3 champions: Lucas di Grassi, Felix Rosenqvist, two-time winners second race saw Wittmann take the top spot on the podium ahead Edoardo Mortara and António Félix da Costa, and Alex Lynn. In addition, of Mortara and 2011 Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix winner Daniel two Macau GT Cup winners are amongst the line-up; four-time GT Cup Juncadella. winner Mortara and Maro Engel, who has won twice. With two races remaining of the 2017/18 FIA Formula E Championship, ABOVE L TO R: LAURENS VANTHOOR WON THE MACAU GT CUP IN 2016; Jean-Eric Vergne (seventh in the 2010 F3 Macau Grand Prix) leads the FELIX ROSENQVIST RACED IN THE MACAU GT CUP LAST YEAR; BELOW: drivers classification ahead of Sam Bird, third in Macao in 2009.