2024 marks the first time that Formula Regional machinery will race around the Guia Circuit, replacing the previous editions’ long-time Formula 3 cars. Feeder Series tells you everything you need to know about one of the most anticipated junior single-seater events of the year. 

By Kaylene Lau

The Macau Grand Prix returns for its 71st edition this week with a switch to Formula Regional machinery for the first time. 

Last year, when the event featured Formula 3 machinery, Luke Browning took the top step of the podium, with Dennis Hauger in second and Gabriele Minì in third. 

Competitors will be running the Tatuus T-318 this year with engines developed by Autotechnica and Alfa Romeo. 

27 cars have been entered into the race this year. The lineup consists of drivers who have previously raced at the circuit along with several making their debut set to tackle the streets of Macau. 

Weekend schedule

The event takes place from 14-17 November. Free practice sessions are spread out over two days, with 40-minute sessions taking place early Thursday and Friday morning. The two 40-minute qualifying sessions will also take place on Thursday and Friday.

The qualifying race on Saturday, which sets the grid for the main race, will consist of 10 laps over one hour. The main race will consist of 15 laps over one hour on Sunday afternoon. All times listed below are in GMT+8. 

• Free Practice 1 – (14 November, 09:15 – 09:55)
• Qualifying 1 – (14 November, 15:25 – 16:05) 
• Free Practice 2 – (15 November, 09:15 – 09:55)
• Qualifying 2 – (15 November, 15:25 – 16:05) 
• Qualifying Race – (16 November, 15:30 ~ 16:30) 
• Race – (17 November, 15:30 ~ 16:30) 

Where to watch

Sessions will be streamed live on FIA’s YouTube channel. 

Teams and drivers

MP Motorsport

MP returns to the Macau Grand Prix this year. The Dutch outfit competed in the previous editions where the Grand Prix featured Formula 3 cars – fielding Dennis Hauger, Mari Boya and Marcus Armstrong last year as their lineup. This year, they will also be entering three cars into the race. 

Joining MP’s lineup for this year is Red Bull junior Oliver Goethe (#1), who is currently competing for the team in Formula 2. While the sporting regulations do not allow Formula 2 drivers to race in the FR World Cup, an exception is made for drivers who have participated in less than three F2 rounds — making Goethe still eligible to compete. This marks his second outing at the circuit, finishing ninth last year in the main race while competing for Campos.

Valerio Rinicella (#2) will be racing for MP this year in Macau. This will be his first time racing at the circuit. He most recently raced in FR Europe this year with MP, placing 20th in the standings with eight points.

Mattia Colnaghi (#3) will round out MP’s lineup for Macau this year. Colnaghi was recently crowned the Spanish F4 champion, taking the championship title with six wins and 282 points. This will be his first time racing in Macau. 

R-ace GP

2024 marks the first year that R-ace GP will compete in the Macau Grand Prix, fielding three drivers for the inaugural FR World Cup. 

McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu (#4) will be racing with R-ace GP this year in Macau. Ugochukwu was recently announced to be stepping up to F3 in 2025 with Prema. He most recently competed in FR Europe this year with Prema – finishing 11th in the standings with one victory in Monza. He also ran a part-time GB3 campaign with Rodin, where he placed 13th in the standings. He raced in Macau last year with Trident, finishing the main race in 15th. 

Also joining R-ace GP’s lineup for Macau is Red Bull junior Enzo Deligny (#5). Deligny raced with the team this year in FR Europe, placing 12th in the standings with a total of 61 points. This will be the 16-year-old’s first time racing at the circuit. 

Ferrari junior driver Tuukka Taponen (#6) completes R-ace GP’s lineup for the Macau Grand Prix. Taponen competed with the French outfit in FR Europe this year, finishing third in the standings with four wins and 198 points. Taponen is set to race for ART Grand Prix next year in F3. 

KCMG IXO by Pinnacle Motorsport

Pinnacle Motorsport will be partnering with KCMG to compete in the Macau Grand Prix this year. The team will be entering two cars in the FR World Cup. 

Joining their lineup this year is Noel León (#7). León most recently competed in Formula 3 with Van Amersfoort Racing, where he placed tenth in the championship with 79 points. León is set to continue in Formula 3 next year but will be moving to race with Prema. He previously raced in Macau in 2023 with Van Amersfoort Racing, finishing the main race in 19th. 

Mari Boya (#8) will also be racing for the team this year. Boya raced with Pinnacle earlier this year in FRMEC, where he placed fifth in the championship with 112 points. The Spaniard also competed in Formula 3 this year with Campos Racing, placing 15th in the standings with one win, and is set to return to the series in 2025. Boya is no stranger to this circuit – having raced here last year and finishing the main race in fourth. 

Saintéloc Racing

Saintéloc Racing will be making their Macau Grand Prix debut this year, fielding two drivers for the FR World Cup. 

Theóphile Naël (#14) will be racing in Macau for the first time this year for Saintéloc. Naël has been competing with the team since his single-seater debut in 2022 and won the Spanish F4 championship in 2023. He most recently competed in FR Europe, placing ninth in the championship standings with one win. 

Partnering Naël at Saintéloc is Alexander Abkhazava (#15). Abkhazava is currently racing in Eurocup-3 with the team, sitting eighth in the championship standings with one win. This will be Abkhazava’s first time racing in Macau. 

ART Grand Prix

ART Grand Prix will return to compete in Macau this year. ART also competed in previous editions featuring Formula 3 cars – with their lineup last year consisting of Laurens van Hoepen, Christian Mansell and Nikola Tsolov. This year, they will also be entering three cars into the FR World Cup. 

James Wharton (#16) will be joining ART’s lineup for the Macau Grand Prix this year. Wharton is the 2024 FR Europe runner-up, securing four wins and 236 points. He is set to compete for ART in Formula 3 next year. This year marks his Macau Grand Prix debut. 

Also joining ART’s lineup this year is Evan Giltaire (#17), who will be racing in Macau for the first time. Giltaire most recently raced for the team in FR Europe, finishing the season seventh in the standings with one win and 97 points. Giltaire is also the 2023 French F4 champion. 

Kanato Le (#18) rounds out ART’s lineup for this year’s Macau Grand Prix. The Japanese driver most recently raced in FR Europe with G4 Racing, finishing the season 18th in the standings with 27 points. This will be his first time racing at the circuit. 

TOM’s Formula

TOM’S Formula makes their return to the Macau Grand Prix this year, having last competed in the event in 2018. The team is a five-time winner at the circuit, having most recently won in 2008 with Keisuke Kinimoto. This year, they will be fielding two cars into the event. 

Rikuto Kobayashi (#19) will be competing for TOM’S this year in Macau. Kobayashi is currently competing in Super Formula Lights for the team, sitting fourth in the standings with one win and 44 points. Kobayashi is also the 2023 Japanese F4 champion, and this year marks his first race in Macau. 

Partnering Kobayashi this year in Macau is his Super Formula Lights teammate, Jin Nakamura (#20). Nakamura sits third in the Super Formula Lights standings, with one win and 46 points. Like his teammate, this is also Nakamura’s first time racing in Macau. 

Kiwi Motorsport

Kiwi Motorsport will be racing in Macau for the first time this year, and will be entering one car into the FR World Cup. 

Jett Bowling (#21) is the team’s lone entry for the 2024 event. Bowling most recently competed with the team in FR Americas, placing third in the championship with 186.5 points. This will be the American driver’s first time racing in Macau. 

PHM Racing

This year, PHM Racing makes a return to the Macau Grand Prix. The team sat out last year’s event as they took over Charouz’s entries for F2 and F3. PHM will be entering three cars into the event this year. 

Rashid Al Dhaheri (#25) will be joining PHM’s lineup for Macau this year. Al Dhaheri has experience at the circuit, competing in the Macau F4 race last year and finishing the main race in third. He most recently raced in Italian F4 with Prema, finishing 10th in the championship with 95 points. He also raced in two rounds of Euro 4 this year, placing 11th in the championship overall. 

Also joining PHM’s lineup this year is Matteo De Palo (#26). The Italian driver has been racing with Saintéloc Racing this year in FR Europe, finishing 17th in the championship standings with 29 points. This will be his first time racing in Macau. 

Ruiqi Liu (#27) completes PHM’s lineup for the Macau Grand Prix this year. Liu previously raced with PHM in FRMEC earlier this year, finishing 26th in the championship. He has also been racing with Trident this year in FR Europe, placing 22nd overall in the standings. This year marks his Macau Grand Prix debut. 

SJM Theodore Prema Racing

Prema’s partnership with Hong Kong-based team Theodore Racing for the Macau Grand Prix continues this year. The team competed in previous editions that featured F3 cars, fielding Paul Aron, Gabriele Minì and Dino Beganovic as their lineup last year. This year they will be entering three cars into the event as well.

Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic (#30) returns to Macau with Prema this year. Beganovic’s last outing at Macau came to an early end after a crash at Lisboa. The Swedish driver last competed in F3 this year with Prema, finishing sixth in the championship with two wins and 109 points. Beganovic is set to compete in the last two rounds of the 2024 F2 season with DAMS.  

Joining Prema’s lineup for the Macau Grand Prix this year is 2024 Italian F4 champion Freddie Slater (#31). Slater won the Italian F4 season in dominant fashion with a record-breaking 15 wins and 383 points. Slater previously raced at the circuit last year for the F4 round and finished the main race in second. This will mark his first time in Formula Regional machinery, and he is set to race with Prema next year in FR Europe. 

McLaren junior Alex Dunne (#32) rounds out Prema’s lineup for the Macau Grand Prix. Dunne most recently raced in F3 with MP, finishing 14th in the championship with 50 points. This will be Dunne’s second time racing in Macau, having previously raced at the circuit last year with Hitech GP – finishing second in the qualifying race, but did not finish the main race after a crash at Lisboa. 

Evans GP

Australian-based team Evans GP will be making their Macau Grand Prix debut this year. Evans will be fielding three cars into the FR World Cup. 

2023 Chinese F4 champion Tiago Rodrigues (#33) joins Evans’ lineup for Macau. This year marks the second time Rodrigues will be racing in front of a home crowd, having finished last year’s Macau F4 main race in sixth. He previously raced with Evans in the fourth round of the Australian F4 championship in Sepang, winning the first out of three races. 

Cooper Webster (#37) will also be competing for Evans in Macau this year. Webster is the 2023 Indian F4 champion, winning the title with eight wins and 282.5 points. Webster also raced in the Australian F4 round in Sepang, winning the second race. He is also a sim-racer for Team Redline. This will be Webster’s first time racing in Macau. 

Kai Daryanani (#88) completes Evans’ lineup. Much like his two teammates, Daryanani also raced for the team in Australian F4 in Sepang, and won the third race. He has confirmed that he will also be racing with Evans in the F4 Middle East Trophy and FRMEC in 2025. He previously raced in Macau for the F4 race last year, finishing tenth in the main race. 

TGM Grand Prix

Macau marks TGM Grand Prix’s first time racing in the Formula Regional category. The Japanese team will field two cars this year. 

Sota Ogawa (#53) will be competing for the team this year. Ogawa is the 2023 FR Japan champion, taking the title with four wins and 243.5 points. He most recently raced in the Fuji 24 Hours with Hitotsuyama Racing, and this year marks his first time racing in Macau. 

Partnering Ogawa at TGM is Rintaro Sato (#55). The son of former Formula 1 driver Takuma Sato is currently racing in Japanese F4 with Ponos Racing, and sits ninth in the standings with 54 points. Much like his teammate, this will be Sato’s first time racing in Macau. 

Correction, 12 November 2024, 14:37 CET: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Kanato Le raced for R-ace GP in FR Europe in 2024. He competed with G4 Racing.

Header photo credit: Macau Grand Prix Organising Committee