President of the FIA Single-Seater Commission, Emanuele Pirro, tamed the legendary Circuito da Guia street track several times during his competition career, winning the Guia Race for touring cars on two occasions after racing in Formula 3. He explained why competing in Macau remains a must for every driver aiming to reach the top of the single-seater ladder.

“Doing well in Macau showcases different characteristics from a racing driver,” Pirro said. “Nowadays you spend a lot of time in a race car, so your performance is down to skill but also down to a lot of preparation, a lot of practice, a lot of outside help. In Macau you can’t rely upon that. You have to figure out yourself what to do or not to do. You can’t test, a certain condition will change and maybe you will have only one lap to do what you can do.

“For a driver’s career, as it has been in the past, every race you win you have to be a good driver. But if you win Macau, you are really a good driver and this is really important for your future to have access to a better team or a better economical package.”

The 63-year-old (below) started 37 Formula One grands prix and also won the Le Mans 24 Hours on five occasions. He continued: “Two years ago I put together and ran the McLaren Driver Development programme. If I was still running the programme I would definitely look at who’s quick in Macau and why people are quick.

“I would also definitely look at who made a mistake in Macau because, nowadays, the ability of driving as close as possible to the limit without exceeding it is less important than in the past. But it’s still a skill you need to have later on in your career when things become more complex and difficult.

“In Macau you cannot exceed your limit because the circuit will bite you. Doing well in Macau delivers a strong message for whoever is interested in a good driver.”

Formula One grid highlights importance of Macau Grand Prix
The key role the Macau Grand Prix performs as a platform to the sport’s highest echelon was further highlighted by a glance at the starting grid for the Mexico City Grand Prix last month. Of the 20 drivers who lined up for start of round 20 of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship, 12 raced on the streets of Macau in the past. Here’s a reminder of who and when:

Isack Hadjar (below): 7th 2023
Lewis Hamilton: 14th 2004, DNF 2003
Nico Hulkenberg: 23rd 2007
Liam Lawson: 7th 2019
Charles Leclerc: 2nd 2015
Lando Norris: 2nd 2017, 11th 2016
Esteban Ocon: DNF 2014, 10th 2013
George Russell: 7th 2016
Carlos Sainz: 7th 2013, 7th 2012, DNF 2011
Lance Stroll: 8th 2015
Yuki Tsunoda: 11th 2019
Max Verstappen: 7th 2014

Four FIA-sanctioned competitions will take place during the 72nd Macau Grand Prix week from 13-16 November with the FIA FR World Cup, FIA F4 World Cup and FIA GT World Cup streamed live and free of charge via the FIA’s official YouTube channel. The Kumho FIA TCR World Tour season finale also forms part of the Macau schedule.