GP Macau: Early bad luck for Jenzer team 🎥

PODIUM WAS REALISTIC Jenzer Motorsport's strongest driver at the 66th Macau Grand Prix was already out of the game on the first lap of the preliminary race. Victory went to a Dutchman. Already in the first turn towards the city, the Macau GP was over for Arjun Maini in the blue Jenzer-Dallara. The races on the 6.12 kilometer [...]

Editorial - November 18, 2019

Already in the first turn towards the city the Macau GP was over for Arjun Maini in the blue Jenzer-Dallara.

The races on the notorious 6.12-kilometer Guia Circuit in Macau sometimes resemble the hustle and bustle on the edge of the race track, where one casino is lined up with another. For Jenzer Motorsport and its spearhead Arjun Maini, the ball rolled to zero in the Chinese gambling city just outside Hong Kong as early as the qualifying race for the 66th Macau Grand Prix.

First Mortara, then Maini
The Indian, who started eighth, had already made up two positions when his Dallara V6 was pushed on the turn into the infamous Lisboa corner and sent into the tire piles. Two-time Macau GP winner Edoardo Mortara had already been wiped out at the same spot in the previous GT qualifying race.

The race thus ended for Maini before it had really begun. In the field of 30 Formula 3 race cars, there was not a single pot to be won from the back row on Sunday.

The Guia Circuit in Macau is one of the most fascinating starting race tracks in the world. The pace and failure rate here are higher than in Monaco (Photo: Joe Portlock).

At least a small sense of achievement
The best of the three Jenzer drivers was local driver Hon Chio Leong, who finished in 19th place, directly followed by regular driver Andreas Estner. It had been a long time since a Makanese driver had placed so well in the Grand Prix, which has been contested with Formula 3 racing cars since 1983.

For the team boss, it was a small consolation to have at least received some publicity in this way.

Andreas Jenzer: "Maini did a super job. After all, he was driving these new race cars for the first time. The sad thing is that the American who crashed into him was third on the podium on Sunday. But that's just how city races are."

Hon Chio Leong saved the honor of the team from Lyss with his impeccable performance.

Record laps
The victory and thus the FIA F3 World Cup went surprisingly to Dutchman Richard Verschoor. He finished 13th in the 2019 FIA Formula 3. His best results were two fourth places in Monza. After a safety car phase, Verschoor had overtaken Red Bull Junior Juri Vips, who had dominated until then, and was able to keep him at bay until the finish.

With 2'04.997 and a horrendous average of 176.26 km/h, the Estonian turned an absolute record lap in qualifying. After 35 years of racing with naturally aspirated two-liter engines, the cars with 3.4-liter V6 engines (approx. 380 hp) used in the new FIA Formula 3 were used for the first time. The only difference for Macau were medium instead of soft tires from Pirelli and a wing setting prescribed for more downforce.

The Sauber Junior Team by Charouz brought its best driver home in sixth place. Fabio Scherer was offered the chance to compete in Macau as well for an additional charge with his Formula 3 European Championship team this year, but declined with thanks after a disappointing season.