The 72nd Macau Grand Prix, Macao's annual international motorsport event, will take place from November 13th to 16th this year.
The Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee (MGPOC) held a press conference today (October 13th) at the Conference Hall of the Macau Science Center to announce details of the event and its sponsors.
Guests attending the press conference included: Mr. Vong Iao Lek, Acting Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government; Mr. Chong Coc Veng, Chairman of the Automobile General Association Macao-China and Coordinator of the Sporting Subcommittee of the MGPOC; Mr. Mok Chi Hang, Deputy Coordinator of the MGPOC; Mr. Paulo Cheong, Senior Vice President of Human Resources of Sands China Limited; Mr. Kenneth Feng, President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited; Dr. Kent Wong, Chief Advisor of Melco Resorts and Entertainment; Mr. Gerard Walker, Chief Hospitality Officer of SJM Resorts, S.A.; Mr. Philip Cheng, Director of Galaxy Entertainment Group; Ms. Zoe Zou, Chief Marketing Officer of Resort Marketing of Wynn Macau, Limited; members of the MGPOC and subcommittee members; representatives of other sponsors and Sports Committee members.
Race program and sponsorship
The 72nd Macau Grand Prix will feature seven exciting races: Macau Grand Prix – FIA FR World Cup; Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup; Macau Guia Race – Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Event of Macau; Macau Formula 4 Race – FIA F4 World Cup; Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 57th Edition; Greater Bay Area GT Cup (GT4); and Macau Roadsport Challenge.
The Macau Grand Prix provides a platform for local businesses to increase their investment in non-gaming elements, to leverage their resources and expertise to expand activational elements and promote the event through additional channels. Six integrated resorts and leisure companies in Macao are supporting the 72nd Macau Grand Prix as major sponsors: Sands China Limited; MGM China Holdings Limited; Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited; SJM Resorts, S.A.; Galaxy Entertainment Group; Wynn Resorts (Macau) Limited. Each company is investing sponsorship in the amount of MOP20 million.
The MGPOC intends to continue leveraging major sporting events as a platform upon which to collaborate with the private sector on sports tourism projects which attract international visitors to strengthen the coordinated development of the integrated tourism and leisure and sports industries.
A cheque presentation ceremony for the major sponsors was conducted at the press conference.
In addition, the following sponsorships were announced: The safety car for this year's event will be sponsored by BMW Concessionaires (Macau) Limited; Macau Industrial Limited is the official beverage sponsor; and Air Macau Company Limited is the official airline sponsor.
Multiple ticketing outlets
Tickets for this year's Grand Prix go on sale today (October 13th). Prices range from MOP100 to MOP1,200, depending on the location and day. Individual ticket purchases are limited to a maximum of ten per person, and all spectators aged two and above must hold a valid ticket.
To facilitate convenient ticket purchase, the MGPOC has established 14 ticket sales points across Macao, Hong Kong and Mainland China, as well as online and mobile app sales channels. Residents and visitors may purchase tickets through the Macau Ticketing network at www.macauticket.com, or at Kong Seng stores in Macao, Hong Kong and Mainland China. Tickets can also be purchased through the Ctrip Travel and Trip.com mobile apps and WeChat mini-programs, the Damai mobile app and WeChat mini-program, the EGL Tours website at www.egltours.com, and the Tongyue.com (China) WeChat mini-program and China Travel Service WeChat mini-program.
During the Grand Prix, all on-site ticketing centers will have self-service ticket machines in addition to staffed counters, allowing spectators to purchase tickets using credit cards and other electronic payment methods.
The MGPOC will continue its ticket partnership program to strengthen the synergy between sports tourism and the event. Through this program, the MGPOC will collaborate with tourism associations, travel agencies, airlines and online travel platforms in Macao and other regions to offer deals combining air, ferry, or hotel packages with Macau Grand Prix tickets. Organizations and businesses interested in participating in this ticket partnership program may contact the MGPOC for more information. Successful partners will benefit from discounts on specified tickets based on quantities purchased.
Ancillary events
The MGPOC is organizing several activities surrounding the Macau Grand Prix in the coming weeks designed to enable both residents and visitors to fully experience the excitement of the event.
The Macau Grand Prix Family Carnival will be held at Tap Seac Square on the weekend of November 1st and 2nd. The carnival will feature a recreation of the Guia Circuit and a mini race track, enabling children to learn about the wide variety of tasks and functions involved in Grand Prix racing, providing a lively and engaging educational experience.
The Macau Grand Prix Auto Show will be held at Tap Seac Square on November 8th and 9th, a unique opportunity for residents and visitors to take a close-up look at the participating racing vehicles. The official Grand Prix opening ceremony will also take place on November 8th.
Further strengthening motorsport culture, the 72nd Macau Grand Prix Photography Contest encourages Macao residents to become part of the event by using their creative skills.
Multiple viewing opportunities
In addition to attending the race in person, this year's Grand Prix will again be available to watch live or rebroadcast via a variety of broadcast platforms covering Macao, Mainland China, and multiple countries and regions around the world. Giant screens showing the event will also be installed at various locations throughout the Macao community.
Motorsport superstars converge on Macau’s Guia Circuit
Macau Grand Prix – FIA FR World Cup
A galaxy of the world’s greatest up-and-coming young driving talent will fight it out for glory in the Macau Grand Prix – FIA FR World Cup.
Taking pride of place on the entry list, following its superb victory with Ugo Ugochukwu in 2024, is R-ace GP, which enters three drivers who made their debuts last year: Italian Matteo De Palo and Frenchman Enzo Deligny and Japan’s Jin Nakamura, a protégé of Toyota.
FRECA championship-leading Briton Freddie Slater remains with PREMA Racing for Macao and spearheads the attack of the Italian team. Slater’s season-long team-mate, Emirati Rashid Al Dhaheri, will line up alongside him and the team is completed by Charles Leong Hon Chio of Macao, China. Leong first competed in the F3 Macau Grand Prix in 2018, and then claimed victory when the race was run for F4 cars in 2020 and 2021. He was second in the 2023 F4 race, and this season has just been crowned Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia champion.
ART Grand Prix is another former winner at Macao under its former name of ASM and this year brings FR Middle East champion Evan Giltaire plus Japanese pair Taito Kato and Kanato Le. Meanwhile, Trident Motorsport is putting its faith in leading drivers from the FIA F3 Championship; Noah Strømsted, Thai driver Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak and young Briton Reza Seewooruthun.
More F3 talents line up for the two-car Pinnacle Motorsport attack, with Spaniard Mari Boya, who finished seventh last year and fourth in 2023, joined by France’s Théophile Naël. Evans GP brings an interesting line-up with two brothers whose father finished seventh in the 1995 F3 Macau Grand Prix. Sons of Austrian racing great Alexander Wurz, Charlie Wurz returns for the first time since 2023, while his younger brother Oscar makes his debut after a season in Eurocup-3. The team is completed by another Macao rookie, talented Japanese FRECA ace Hiyu Yamakoshi.
The Eurocup-3 representation continues with newly-crowned champion Mattia Colnaghi who is joined at PHM Racing by China’s Enzo Yeh and Mexico’s José Garfias. Van Amersfoort Racing enters Euroformula champion Tymek Kucharczyk, FR Japan championship leader Kiyoshi Umegaki, and Zhenrui Chi, who steps up from a strong season in Italian F4.
Umegaki’s main title rival this season is Tokiya Suzuki. Both have raced with the Toyota-affiliated TOM’S Formula in 2025, and Suzuki remains at the team for his maiden visit to Macao. His stablemate is Yuki Sano, runner-up with TOM’S in Japan’s Super Formula Lights series. A third French team, Saintéloc Racing, brings further Eurocup-3 contenders in the form of American James Egozi and French-Vietnamese Owen Tangavelou.
Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup
A star-studded line-up of the world’s elite GT drivers is set to contest the Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup, with six of the world’s greatest automobile names represented on the grid: Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche.
‘Mr Macao’ Edoardo Mortara returns to the Guia Circuit in a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 on the hunt for a fifth Macau GT Cup crown which would restore his outright race record-holder status. Mortara is partnered at Absolute Corse by Luca Engstler.
Two-time winner Raffaele Marciello will also be back on the Guia Circuit in his ROWE Racing BMW M4. Joining him in the BMW camp is rapid South African Sheldon van der Linde with Team WRT.
Porsche is the most-represented manufacturer on the grid with a total of five 911 GT3 Rs, two from the Tempo by Absolute Racing stable for 2016 champion Laurens Vanthoor and Alessio Picariello. SCHUMACHER CLRT enters Ayhancan Güven and Laurin Heinrich, while Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci is the Phantom Global Racing entry.
Ferrari is one brand that has not yet won the race, and is represented by a three-296 GT3 line-up for Antonio Fuoco at AF Corse, Deng Yi at Winhere Motorsports, and the legendary Italian marque’s first-ever Chinese official factory driver Ye Yifei at Harmony Racing. Ye also became the first Chinese driver to win the Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this year, and takes on the Guia Circuit for the second time in his career.
Audi has three R8 LMS GT3 evo IIs on the grid, with Christopher Haase at FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom, Swede Joel Eriksson racing for Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom, and long-time fan favourite at Macao, Adderly Fong for Uno Racing Team. Rounding out the field is a McLaren 720S GT3 from Optimum Motorsport that will be driven by Benjamin Goethe.
Adding to the excitement of the race this year is the brand-new ‘Super Pole’ session. The ten quickest drivers in the regular 30-minute qualifying session will then get a crack at the Super Pole for Saturday’s 12-lap Qualification Race. With the Guia Circuit to themselves for two qualifying laps, on brand new tyres, the shootout promises a thrilling fight for pole.
Macau Guia Race – Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Event of Macao
The international entry for the jewel in the crown of the international touring car racing this year includes five Guia Circuit race winners: Sweden’s Thed Björk, Chinese star Ma Qing Hua, Esteban Guerrieri of Argentina, Hungarian Norbert Michelisz’s, and Dušan Borković, who last year became the first Serbian ever to win the Macau Guia Race.
Ten full-season Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Event of Macau competitors are amongst the line-up, and series leader Yann Ehrlacher will be the driver to beat as he chases a third FIA touring car title with Lynk & Co Cyan Racing, joined on the squad by Ma, Björk and Santiago Urrutia. Aurélien Comte will lead the SP Compètition squad in a CUPRA Leon VZ TCR, while defending champion Borković is joined at GOAT Racing by Ignacio Montenegro and Esteban Guerrieri. BRC Hyundai enters Norbert Michelisz, Mikel Azcona and Néstor Girolami.
Asia Pacific is well represented by Eurasia Motorsport’s Liang Wenyao and Reignbert G. Diwa, Evolve Racing’s Lo Sze Ho, and Sean Chang with RevX Racing. HMO Customer Racing pair Ryan MacMillan and Josh Buchan fly the flag for Australia, while Indonesian Benny Santoso will race with Z.Speed N MAS. Solite Indigo Racing enters Park Junui and Park Junesung of Korea.
Macau F4 Race – FIA F4 World Cup
The inaugural Macau Formula 4 Race - FIA F4 World Cup has attracted an impressive entry of bright young talents.
From the ultra-competitive Italian F4 Championship come newly-crowned champion Kean Nakamura-Berta, Italian Emanuele Olivieri and American Sebastian Wheldon, son of the late Indy 500 winner Dan.
Rintaro Sato, son of two-time Indy 500 and 2001 F3 Macau Grand Prix winner Takuma Sato, is back for his second visit to Macao having contested the inaugural Macau Grand Prix – FIA FR World Cup last year. He is part of a strong delegation from the close-fought French F4 series which also include Alexandre Munoz, Jules Roussel and Rayan Caretti.
British F4 champion and Red Bull Junior Fionn McLaughlin is joined by another race winner from the UK series, Thomas Bearman, the younger brother of Haas Formula 1 rookie star Ollie Bearman. The youngest driver in the field is also from the British F4 series, Indian Ary Bansal who will have just turned 16 ahead of his Guia Circuit debut.
Also from the European F4 scene comes Argentinian Genaro Trappa, while Ethan Nobels arrives from the F4 Brazilian Championship.
Two Chinese F4 champions are entered: Tiago Rodrigues (Macao, China), who claimed the 2023 crown, and this season’s champion is Zhang Shimo (Hong Kong, China). Provisional runner-up this season, Kimi Yu Tsai Chan (Hong Kong, China) is joined by Wang Yuzhe (China) and Macao driver Marcus Cheong Man Hei (Macao, China).
Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 57th Edition
Five-time Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix winner Peter Hickman and defending champion Davey Todd headline the entry for this year’s two-wheeled spectacular at Zeeco BMW Motorrad.
Finland’s Erno Kostamo, runner-up to Todd last year, returns in a bid to repeat his 2022 victory. Joining the Finn on the international line-up are Belgium’s Laurent Hoffman, and French rider Almaric Blanc, the quickest Macao newcomer twelve months ago.
The Isle of Man will be represented by Manx Grand Prix winner Michael Evans alongside last year’s newcomer and rising star Marcus Simpson. Isle of Wight rider Ryan Whitehall, another 2024 Macao newcomer, also returns, as does Guia Circuit veteran Sam West. The Irish contingent, meanwhile, will be led by Paul Jordan alongside Michael Sweeney.
Two hugely-experienced road racers could also make their own mark on the Guia Circuit this November. David Johnson, a podium finisher at Macao in 2019, returns after a year-long hiatus, while Rob Hodson will be looking to end a strong season on a high note.
Guia Circuit newcomers this year include Kiwi rider Mitch Rees, a multiple New Zealand Superbike champion, Briton Don Gilbert, and Italy’s Maurizio Bottalico.
Greater Bay Area GT Cup (GT4)
Eight manufacturers are represented on the entry for the Greater Bay Area GT Cup (GT4), with Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ginetta, Lotus, McLaren, Mercedes and Toyota all duelling for honours on the Guia Circuit. The driver line-up is led by last year’s race winner Han Lichao in his Toyota Gazoo Racing China GR Supra GT4 EVO2. Han also tops the SRO GT Cup leaderboard after two of four rounds. The new series debuted as a support race to the Shanghai F1 Grand Prix in March, and concludes on the Guia Circuit.
Fourth in the championship ahead of its penultimate round at the new Beijing Street Circuit this weekend is Chuang Chi Shun, who is entered for Macao in his LEVEL Motorsports Audi R8 LMS GT4 evo. He currently leads team mate and another Greater Bay Area GT Cup (GT4) entrant Kao Tzu Lung by five points. Kao will race the team’s Toyota GR Supra GT4 in Macao.
Three drivers currently tied on points in the SRO GT Cup are all entered for Macao; Wang Hao, for Toyota Gazoo Racing China; Lu Wenlong for Team Pegasus in a Lotus Emira; and two-time Macau GT Cup winner Darryl O’Young, who will race a Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes AMG GT4 EVO.
Macao is well represented amongst the entry, with a strong local contingent led by Leong Ian Veng. Leong was the top local finisher in the race last year, is a former Macau Roadsports Challenge and CTM Cup winner, and is currently tenth in the SRO GT Cup standings having contested one of the two rounds so far. He will drive a Son Veng Racing Team BMW M4 GT4 on his home track. Joining him are 2024 Macau Roadsport Challenge winner Lei Kit Meng in an RPM Racing Team Ginetta G55, Wong Cheng Tou and Ip Un Hou in a pair of LW World Racing Team McLaren 570S GT4s, Lao Kim Hou in an RPM Racing Team Ginetta G55 GT4, Miguel Lei in an LW World Racing Team Audi R8 LMS GT4 evo, and Wong Wai Hong in a LEVEL Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT4.
Macau Roadsport Challenge
A firm favourite with local race fans, the Macau Roadsport Challenge once again promises plenty of on-track thrills from the fleet of Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ model race cars. Last year’s Macau Roadsport – Macao SAR Establishment Cup winner Damon Chan Tat Man returns to the Guia Circuit, as do Cheang Kin Sang and Ivan Szeto Wing Shun who both joined him on the podium in 2024. Macau Roadsport Challenge runner-up in 2024 Jeronimo Badaraco will be looking to go one better this year and is amongst a host of Macao drivers entered.
