Porsche Sets Stage for Thrilling Macau Grand Prix Showdown
Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s teams and customers are putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the 70th Macau Grand Prix. This year's event promises to be a spectacle with 11 Porsche race cars poised to compete over two action-packed weekends.
The opening weekend will feature the Greater Bay Area GT Cup, which includes four Porsche contenders, three of whom will compete in the GT3 category. Brian Lee, a seasoned GT3 racer from the 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia, will drive the #14 Team KRC Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) on the renowned Guia Circuit. This will be his inaugural GT3 appearance at Macau.
Adrian Henry D’Silva, having competed in various Porsche racing series this year, will conclude his busy 2023 season in Macau, driving the #61 EBM Giga Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.2). Peter Liao will also be competing in a Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.2) for K-SPORT, sporting a vibrant orange livery.
In the GT4 class, Zeng Jianfeng will race the #13 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for RSR GT Racing. With a wealth of GT4 experience from competing in the Porsche Sprint Challenge China and GT Super Sprint Challenge, Zeng is well-prepared for Macau.
The following weekend will see the much-anticipated return of the FIA Macau GT World Cup, featuring seven Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) cars across five customer teams, including five Porsche drivers.
Absolute Racing is set to participate with two cars. Alessio Picariello will drive the #15 car, representing Luanzhou International Circuit, while Matteo Cairoli will be behind the wheel of the #120 car. Both drivers have contributed to the team's successful season in the 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia.
HubAuto Racing, a previous collaborator with Porsche in Macau, will field two Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) cars. Kévin Estre and Thomas Preining, the recent DTM champion, will drive the #28 and #27 cars, respectively.
Earl Bamber, a consistent podium finisher in the FIA GT World Cup and a victor in the special Porsche Carrera Cup Asia event in 2013, returns to compete in the Earl Bamber Motorsport-run D2 Racing Team car.
2016 race winner Laurens Vanthoor, who shared the podium with Bamber in 2019, will aim to continue his strong track record at Macau with TORO Racing. Joining him is 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion Leo Ye, partnering with R&B Racing. Ye brings his Macau experience, having secured a second-place finish at the event two years ago.
Timetable highlights include practice and qualifying sessions on November 11 and 12, and the main races spanning November 16 to 19.
Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director of Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd., expressed excitement about the upcoming event, noting the opportunity for drivers and teams to showcase their skills on the Guia Circuit and the return of the FIA GT World Cup.
Timetable
Saturday 11 November
10:15 – 10:45 Greater Bay Area GT Cup Free Practice (GT4)
11:00 – 11:30 Greater Bay Area GT Cup Free Practice (GT3)
14:00 – 14:30 Greater Bay Area GT Cup Qualifying (GT4)
14:45 – 15:15 Greater Bay Area GT Cup Qualifying (GT3)
Sunday 12 November
11:30 – 12:00 Greater Bay Area GT Cup Race (GT4)
12:50 – 13:20 Greater Bay Area GT Cup Race (GT3)
Thursday 16 November
12:15 – 12:45 FIA GT World Cup Free Practice 1
16:10 – 16:40 FIA GT World Cup Free Practice 2
Friday 17 November
14:05 – 14:35 FIA GT World Cup Qualifying
Saturday 18 November
14:05 – 15:05 FIA GT World Cup Qualification Race
Sunday 19 November
12:05 – 13:15 FIA GT World Cup Race
