Five prestigious racing marques and a host of highly-respected GT drivers will take to the streets of Macau between 19-22 November in a bid to become the first FIA GT World Cup Champion.
The names Aston Martin, Audi, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche conjure the very best that GT racing has to offer for all motor sport lovers, and all five factories have entered some of their strongest teams.
A number of high-quality privateer entries will join them on what is renowned as perhaps the toughest street circuit in the world; an appropriate venue to sort the best of GT3’s best.
“The FIA GT World Cup incorporates a new concept, similar to a ‘GT Masters’ format,” explained Christian Schacht, the President of the FIA GT Commission. “The FIA has organized a spectacular race to bring together the best that the GT3 category has to offer, in a format that will see individual drivers going flat-out for a full sprint race. Macau is a legendary circuit, in keeping with the spirit of this World Cup, and we’re particularly satisfied to have attracted a top-class field for the first running of the event.”
No fewer than six former winners in Macau are expected on the grid, including last year’s Macau GT champion, Maro Engel. He returns with Mercedes-Benz, again at the wheel of an SLS AMG GT3. “The creation of this FIA GT World Cup is a great idea and I’ve got every intention of honouring my number 1 status,” said the German driver, who will join Dutchman Renger van der Zande for the Mercedes AMG Driving Academy.
Edoardo Mortara (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), who has a formidable Macau record, with three GT wins and two F3 victories, is also one of the hot favourites. The Italian, who shone in the DTM this season, was beaten to the Macau GT crown by Engel in 2014 and is out for revenge for Audi on his favourite circuit. German René Rast (Audi Sport Team WRT) and Marchy Lee (Audi Hong Kong) from Hong Kong complete the Ingolstadt make’s entries.
Aston Martin, represented by the Craft Bamboo Racing team, also brings a line-up of drivers with impressive credentials, with Briton Richard Lyons, Germany’s Stefan Mücke, and Darryl O’Young, the recently-crowned 2015 Asia GT Series champion and 2008 Macau GT Cup winner.
Porsche has also brought plenty of quality in its driving ranks, with 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Earl Bamber leading the charge of its 911 GT3Rs with LKM Racing. Bamber brings serious GT credentials as well, having won the 2014 Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup Asia. Joining the New Zealander at Porsche will be Belgian Dylan Derdaele (Gulf Racing JP) and Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak (Est Cola Racing Team) from Thailand.
The famed McLaren name will be represented by three 650S GT3s run by the FFF Racing team. The McLarens will be entrusted to Frenchman Kevin Estre, Alvaro Parente from Portugal, and hometown hero André Couto who has racked up endless kilometres on the Guia Circuit since his victory in F3 in 2000. Couto returns home on a high, having just won the Super GT title in the GT300 Class.
In the battle for the drivers’ title, a number of high-quality privateer entries are sure to be in the mix, including Pasin Lathouras (Ferrari 458 GT3), Adderly Fong (Bentley Continental GT3), and Keita Sawa (Bentley Continental GT3), a two-time winner of the Macau GT Cup.
As a prelude to the main event, the five manufacturers entered in the FIA GT World Cup will display their racing and road cars as part of a large Car Show in Tap Seac Square, Macau, on the 14th and 15th of November.
Information
The 2015 FIA GT World Cup is run according to the Federation’s GT3 regulations as well as its balance of performances, which is adapted to the specificities of the Guia circuit. The FIA GT sporting regulations and Balance of performances can be consulted at www.fiagtworldcup.com
Each make can enter up to three cars, but only the two best results will be taken into account for the awarding of the manufacturers’ title according to the classic FIA points system.
All cars will use Pirelli tyres, the sole tyre supplier for the event.
Free practice 1 on Thursday 19th November, free practice 2 and qualifying on Friday 20th November for the qualifying race (12 laps) on Saturday 21st November. Race (18 laps) on Sunday 22nd November.