Macau GP - World's biggest GT stars to shine alongside Formula One hopefuls

22.04.15
The Macau Grand Prix will have a different look to it in 2015, after this year’s race programme was announced today in Macau.
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The FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup will return, ensuring the 62nd running of the classic event will again play host to some of the hottest stars of the future in the showpiece event.

Added to the programme for 2015 is the inaugural FIA GT World Cup; an invitational race that will see 28 entries comprising some of the world’s biggest name drivers and cars from GT racing.

The FIA GT World Cup will be a stand-alone event, bringing together the best drivers, teams and manufacturers competing in various national and regional championships under the GT3 regulations.

Entries will be invited to participate in the prestigious event – the selection process and format of the event will be announced at a later date.

The entry list to take on the tight confines of the legendary Guia circuit is sure to be impressive, as the FIA GT3 regulations promote diversity, while the implementation of the FIA Balance of Performance in the management of GT3 – which can adjust power, weight, engine management and aerodynamics – ensures a high level of parity across the category.

With the GT3 platform’s global acceptance across a huge number of regional and national championships, the Macau Grand Prix Committee will have the opportunity to invite drivers, cars and teams representing numerous championships from Europe, Asia-Pacific, North and South America.

The FIA GT World Cup will carry on from the successful Macau GT Cup, which ran from 2008 to 2014, and further expand the stature of the GT class for the Grand Prix weekend.

The ‘Monte Carlo of the Orient’ will again host the best young Formula 3 drivers in the world as the FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup invites the ‘cream of the crop’ from the regional and national championships all over the world – all of them aiming for Formula One.

Of the 20 drivers entered in the 2015 Formula One World Championship, 13 have raced at Macau – no fewer than eight F1 World Champions have previously raced on the Guia circuit; Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen, Jacques Villeneuve, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.

Only 30 of the best Formula 3 drivers in the world will be invited to compete, and the selection process will be tough.

For example, the FIA Formula 3 European Championship counts 36 entrants in 2015, and there are many more extremely talented young drivers from other national championships desperate for an opportunity to prove themselves in the classic race.

The success of the Macau Grand Prix is partly owed to the relentless work of the safety personnel on the ground.

In 2015, 720 marshals will again manage the race – marshals receive year-round training in order to prepare them for the task of handling the unique challenges of the Guia circuit. The Automobile General Association Macao-China (AAMC), the Macau Grand Prix Committee and the FIA continue to work in close cooperation to ensure the ongoing success of the event.

The 2015 Macau Grand Prix will take place from 19 to 22 November – follow the developments on fia.com.