Macau has allocated a record budget of MOP230m to turn the 60th Macau Grand Prix into a two-week “carnival” lasting from November 9th to 17th in celebration of the diamond jubilee of the legendary event now becoming a “must-see motorsport” as described by João Manuel Costa Antunes, the new head of the Macau Grand Prix Committee, who also announced a MOP70m project to facilitate the iconic race with a brand new control tower.
“The program is unprecedented in its depth of talent, diversity, and prestige, with an impressive combination of exciting young talent, established stars and the world’s most famous names in automotive excellence,” Mr Antunes announced in the annual press conference held last Friday at the Tourism Activities Center. “Over the last six decades, the Macau Grand Prix has grown from a gathering of amateur racing enthusiasts to a shining jewel in international motorsports, a success of which every Macau resident can be proud of. This year we will usher in an important moment in history – the 60th Grand Prix held in Macau. This is a major event amongst the world motorsport community.”
After a brief introduction of the Macau Grand Prix’s history by Mr Chong Coc Veng, Coordinator of the Sporting Subcommittee, the official released details of the program, which will be held over two weekends in November. The dates are November 9th to 10th and 14th to 17th.
“In order to enhance the carnival atmosphere surrounding the 60th Macau Grand Prix festivities we have created a theme of ‘Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee Grand Prix with Stars’, with the ‘Stars’ being the world’s most renowned automotive marques.”
The Race Program for the first weekend of racing (November 9th and 10th) includes six races: The Audi R8 LMS Cup, launched in mainland China last season which will also be held in Macau this year; the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, returning to Macau for the first time since 2007, and featuring drivers from the Asia, Japan and Australia series; the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, which runs in Europe and America and will bring the Asian series to Macau for the first time; and the Formula Masters China Series designed to develop young Chinese and Asian talent. The second week of the Grand Prix differs from previous years.
The new races on the program are the Lotus Greater China Race in which drivers from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Chinese Taipei will be invited to race against their Asian counterparts, and the Master Challenge.
“In Chinese tradition the 60th year is associated with the best of the best, and this will be reflected in the events organized for the public to enjoy. Creating nine days of celebrations, special exhibitions of classic cars will be held over both weekends at a variety of venues, such as major hotels and open areas across the city,” Chong said.
As in previous years, the popular Road Sport/Supercar and Motorcycle Shows will be held at Tap Seac Square and Friendship Square respectively, and both are expected to draw even more residents and visitors than ever.
In order to train local drivers and riders in Macau, the SAR government has been helping to fund competitors to contest championships, and facilitating entry to the annual Macau Grand Prix.
Track safety is of primary importance after two fatal accidents last year. Protective mesh is to be installed at high-speed areas of the circuit to ensure the safety of the spectators and the surrounding households in the event of an incident; the Committee is mindful to take into consideration the daily lives of residents.
Mr Antunes was not worried about the H7N9 virus. “Concerning the health situation, I must say, unfortunately, we have some relevant experience in the past, in 2003 (the time of the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) when we were preparing for the Grand Prix…I still remember the atmosphere and the environment, anyway we must say we completely trust the health department and the government’s guidelines.”
According to the official, the promotional activity plan for the 60th Macau Grand Prix has been enhanced, with some (activities) already launched last December or earlier this year, including the Grand Prix poster and souvenir design, and the first ever competition to compose a racing theme tune for the Grand Prix, hoping to increase the participation of Macau residents to join in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Overseas publicity efforts will begin earlier than usual, with tourist trade shows featuring the Grand Prix in Guangzhou, Berlin, Singapore, Lisbon, and Russia. A Formula 3 car will be exhibited next week at the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The Macau Grand Prix will be advertised via a variety of media, including the BBC, CNN, CNBC, Fox Media and Eurosport.
Mr Antunes said that last year, 924 journalists from 240 media organizations reported on the event. Thirty television stations broadcast live with replays, and the total number of households to which footage was broadcast was over 10 billion. In order to commemorate the event, a set of commemorative stamps will be issued for the Diamond Jubilee in cooperation with the Macau Post Office. In addition, knowledgeable historian Mr Philip Newsome will publish a book chronicling the last six decades, with a detailed history, unique pictures, and competitor and event information.
The event is expected to attract an increased number of international media and sponsors, according to Mr Charles Lo, Coordinator of the Marketing and Advertising Subcommittee, who said enquiries and ticket bookings have already been received from Japan, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines and India.
Macau Grand Prix Committee Deputy Coordinator Ms Davina Chu gave details of the new official website launched last Friday for the 60th Grand Prix, including panorama views of the race tracks from different locations of the auditorium to help spectators decide what kind of tickets to buy. It carries large numbers of photos and videos of the event, including recordings of the race captured by cameras installed inside a racing vehicle. During the conference Mr Antunes signed a series of sponsorship agreements with seven sponsors, mostly automobile makers.
60th Macau Grand Prix features MOP230m diamond jubilee extravaganza
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