Pirelli Returns To Formula 3 At The Macau Grand Prix

Pirelli had an even greater presence in Macau this year, at the prestigious Suncity Group Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix - FIA F3 World Cup. As well as exclusively supplying tyres for the F3, it also equipped the cars for the fifth running of the FIA GT World Cup. This is the second time that Pirelli has supplied the world’s most prestigious Formula 3 race, after the Italian firm made its debut in the category in 2016. 

The tyres. For the F3, the P Zero Yellow medium compound was supplied from the range of tyres developed for the new-for-2019 cars. Pirelli  equipped all of the GT cars with its P Zero DHD2 slick tyres, which are used in GT racing championships all around the world. 

The circuit. The Macau Guia Circuit is a street track with a reputation as one of the most demanding and spectacular anywhere in the world. Its combination of high-speed straights and twisting mountain section tests provides a great test of driver skill, with little margin for error due to the barriers lining the full 6.12-kilometre lap.

The cars and stars. Formula 3 cars have raced in Macau since 1983, when a young Ayrton Senna took the victory. This year, the race was for the new-look F3 cars that race on the F1 support bill on Pirelli tyres. The 2019 championship winner Robert Shwartzman was joined by other race-winners including Marcus Armstrong, Juri Vips and Christian Lundgaard. Others included Dan Ticktum, who won in Macau in both 2017 and 2018, Formula 2 driver Callum Ilott and several from the Pirelli-supplied Formula Regional European Championship, such as Frederik Vesti, Enzo Fittipaldi, David Schumacher and Sophia Floersch.

The race. In the F3 race Macao rookie Richard Verschoor upset the form book by holding off pre-race favourite Jüri Vips to secure a sensational victory.

The race got off to a dramatic start, with front-row starter Robert Shwartzman out of the running before getting to Lisboa Bend on the opening lap.

As the race progressed Vips piled on the pressure, even getting next to Verschoor into Lisboa on Lap 11, but he couldn't find a way past. Verschoor held on to become the first Dutch driver to win the Macau Grand Prix

FIA GT World Cup.  Audi, BMW, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche were all represented on the grid with GT3 cars driven by factory drivers. All four previous winners of the event returned: Maro Engel and Edoardo Mortara with Mercedes, Laurens Vanthoor with Porsche and the defending champion Augusto Farfus with BMW. Raffaele Marciello, Dries Vanthoor, Christopher Haase, Kelvin Van Der Linde and Earl Bamber were among the other big-name GT drivers taking part.

The race. Raffaele Marciello drove flawlessly to secure the SJM Macau GT Cup - FIA GT World Cup.

From the start, Marciello was up against a pair of Porsches, with Laurens Vanthoor leading the charge for the Rowe Racing squad after getting past teammate Earl Bamber on the opening lap.

Initially Vanthoor and Bamber were initially unable to do much about the leading Mercedes, but after Kevin Estre hit a wall, Vanthoor got very close following the lap 8 restart.

However, from there, although Vanthoor stalked the Mercedes throughout, he was unable to mount a genuine challenge for the lead and Marciello ran out as winner with Earl Bamber taking 3rd for the Porsches.

Source: Pirelli