SJM MACAU GT CUP – FIA GT WORLD CUP SUNCITY GROUP MACAU GUIA RACE 2.0T TCR - CTCC ʻface offʼ he Macau Guia Race - fi rst held in 1972, and one of the most famous touring car races in Asia – also offers Tone of the most sought after trophies in the careers of top touring car drivers from around the world. Before the Macau event became an FIA World Touring Car Cham- pionship (WTCC) qualifi er, the Guia race was run for a selection of races - and pro- duction-based saloon cars. Following ten years of WTCC, the race transformed into the fi nal round of both the TCR Internation- al and Asia series last year, with TCR class cars competing for the fi rst time. This year, however, the Macau Grand Prix organis- ers have decided to open up the the race to cars conforming to British, European and China Touring Car Championship (BTCC/ ETCC/CTCC) specifi cations, in addition to the TCR class cars already permitted to guests as the only non-TCR representatives them, even if none of them have been able Michael Bartels race last year. on the grid. East and West touring car con- to commit to the Macau race. In theory, the Basically, for this yearʼs event the reg- cepts will face off for the fi rst time. CTCC cars are of higher spec than the TCR ulations permit any 2.0 litre turbocharged Unlike private entry-oriented TCR rac- cars. To avoid any damaging difference of ermanyʼs Michael Bartels contest- champion. After his seeming failure to ships in 2006 (Michael Bartels/Andrea car from the major touring car champion- ing series and competitors, the CTCC Su- pace between these two forms of touring ed the 1989 Macau Grand Prix achieve success in F1, he switched to Bertolini), in 2007 (Thomas Biagi) and ships competing to FIA national touring per 2.0T class enjoys a lot of popularity in car the organisers have promised to ensure without a great deal of success; he F3000, fi nishing fourth overall in 1992. in 2008 (Michael Bartels/Andrea Berto- car regulations to take part. No budget Mainland China and has big fat budgets performance parity by modifying the origi- fi nished in the lower half of the fi eld He raced in the German DTM touring car lini); fi ve FIA GT Teams Championships in G requirements exist for BTCC and ETCC cars and factory support teams from Ford, SAIC nal specs of the cars, creating a level play- and was not classifi ed. But he is probably series in 1994, fi nishing a top privateer. 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 (Vi- to join the race this year, leaving the CTCC Volkswagen, BAIC and Hayma behind ing fi eld and good racing. best known to the public as the man that He has won the Nurburgring 24-Hours taphone Racing Team); one Citation Cup dated German tennis star Steffi Graf for twice; and the Spa 24-Hours in 2005, ʼ06 for gentlemen drivers in 2007 (Ben Au- a number of years in the early Nineties and ʼ08, all with Maserati. cott) and three victories at the prestigious before she married Andre Agassi, much Back in Macau, Michael Bartels won Spa 24 Hours (2005, 2006, and 2008). to Bartelsʼ devastation. the 1999 Guia race at the wheel of an The outcome can be considered posi- Yet, true motor racing fans will Audi A4 Quattro. tive in what was deemed the toughest cir- also know Bartels as the man that has Vitaphone, a German racing team, is cuit for the Modena race cars. achieved magnifi cent status for Maserati headed up by Bartels with his fi rst season A place on the podium for Müller/ in recent years. He was the star and the with the outfi t at the wheel of an Opel Ramos is the fair conclusion to a good power behind the Vitafone Racing GT1 Omega V8 in 2003. He subsequently race, run with authority in the initial team. Running the amazing and excit- drove a Saleen S7R for Vitaphone the stages and in the end infl uenced by the ing Maserati MC12, Bartels achieved a following year before graduating to the return of Ruffi er/Longinʼs Corvette. The number of victories, as did contemporar- Maserati MC12 for the 2005 season. third Maserati MC12, driven by the Pier ies Andre Bertolini and Pier Guidi. Born in Plettenberg, Germany, Bar- Guidi/Bobbi duo, also ran a good race, In GT1, Bartelsʼ MC12 dominated tels currently resides in Monaco, as do arriving sixth, defending the colours of and made Maserati one of the top pro- many top racing drivers – mainly for tax Vitaphone Racing Team DHL. For the totype manufacturers (except it was not reasons as well as the convenience of record, the race was won by Bernoldi/ in truth a prototype; it was essentially a travel to various European race circuits. Streiff. The Bertolini/Bartels duoʼs fi fth road car but only if you could afford it place, together with the withdrawal of and could cope with its immense power). Paul Ricard 2009 Kumpen/Hezemans, gave the reigning Although Michael Bartels attempted With a second place at the southern champions a four-point lead in the driv- to qualify a Lotus on four occasions in F1, French circuit of Paul Ricard obtained erʼs ranking prior to the last round of the he became eminently more successful as by Alex Müller and Miguel Ramos and championship, scheduled for October team boss and one of the lead drivers of a fi fth place by Andrea Bertolini and that year in Zolder. the Vitafone Maserati MC12 squad. Michael Bartels, Vitaphone Racing Team With co-driver Andre Bertolini, Bar- mathematically wins the fi fth consecutive Still Racing tels took the 2008 FIA GT1 title with the title among the racing teams. Despite turning 48 this year, Michael Bar- seemingly indestructible MC12. The pair- This is an unprecedented result in the tels remains committed to racing, compet- ing had earlier achieved the 2006 GT- FIA GT Championship, giving the Maser- ing in the popular Blancpain GT series in a 1driversʼ title, also in the Maserati, and ati MC12 a total of eleven titles. BMW Z4. He is still part of the Vitaphone did it again in 2009. Since 2005, the MC12 has won two team, although this has been renamed Bartels was the 1985 German kart- FIA GT Manufacturers Cups in 2005 and Vita4One, for commercial reasons, ing champion and 1986 Formula Ford 2007; three FIA GT Drivers Champion- presumably. 114 NOVEMBER 2016 NOVEMBER 2016 115 SUNCITY GROUP MACAU GUIA RACE 2.0T SUNCITY GROUP MACAU GUIA RACE 2.0T suppliers/consultants within the limits of the regulations. For example, there are currently four different engine types run- ning in the championship”. “TCR“TCR isis By contrast, “the TCR cars are factory built cars subject to strict homologation rules”, our source says. “In the present con- fi guration of the two different categories thethe perfectperfect CTCC should have an advantage in terms of engine power. The cars are also approx- imately 100 kg lighter if they run without ballast and possibly better aerodynamics. The cornering performance, however, is platformplatform quite similar although CTCC has a more tunable suspension”. However, we live in an era of one- make tyre spec series, as in the old days forfor customercustomer of the Guia Race, and to further compli- cate the life of punters and racing experts 2015 TCR Asia Series vice-champion the Circuito da Guia much better”. this yearʼs Guia Race 2.0T make of tyre is Rodolfo Avila is the fi rst and only Macau Only fi ve CTCC cars have entered free, yet the TCR International and Asia racing”racing” driver to have driven the last generation this yearʼs race: two Citroën Elysées, Series competitors have to run on Miche- of CTCC cars, but is uncertain who will two Audi A3s and one Mercedes-Benz lin S9 tyres if they want to score points for win this duel. “Itʼs diffi cult to predict who C260. The look of the CTCC cars is defi - their own championships. Their Chinese will be faster as the result will depend nitely more aggressive than their TCR counterparts are likely to run on Korean upon too many factors, like the tyres, set- opponents because they are “inspired Kumho rubbers, while the non-registered ups, driversʼ skills, etc.”, explains Avila by WTCC but with some parts that have TCR cars will use whatever tyre they have who has driven CTCCʼs VW Lamando been standardised,” says one well-known at hand like Pirelli or Yokohama. The Chi- GTS and TCRʼs SEAT Léon. “On the Zhu- chief engineer in the paddocks who pre- nese tyre makers are not yet ready for hai circuit, for example, the CTCC cars fers to remain anonymous. “Suspension, this challenge - but if the rules remina the are defi nitely faster, with more aerody- brakes, clutch and electronics are the same for the next few years it wouldnʼt be namic downforce and engine power. same for all cars but with more freedom surprising to see ʻMade in Chinaʼ tyres on However, the TCR cars are more reliable in aerodynamics. Both engine and aero the grid in the most prominent touring car and the teams stronger - and they know can be developed by the teams or their race in the region. arcello Lotti, the former General tion road going models, therefore it is obvi- promoter, therefore we welcome the CTCC Manager of the FIA World Tour- ous that TCR racing cars perform well on teams.