Due to the challenging nature of the Guia Circuit, which consists of fast straights (a Formula 3 car can reach a top speed of 275 km/h (171 mph) at the end of the straight[2]), tight corners and uncompromising crash barriers; the Macau Grand Prix races are considered some of the most demanding in the world.
Many current or former Formula One drivers have participated in the event early in their careers and some of them have won the prestigious prize.
[5] Bianchi's victory and exposure led to more professional racing teams entering the Grand Prix in the following years.
The race in 1990 was a memorable one, as Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen were involved in an incident when they were in first and second going into the final lap.
At the main straight just after the Mandarin Oriental Bend, Häkkinen hit the back of Schumacher's car and crashed out when he attempted to overtake him.
[8] Schumacher's car was able to continue with its rear wing damaged and eventually won the race with the best aggregate time.
Other notable winners include Formula One drivers David Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher and Takuma Sato.
The Macau Grand Prix race weekend normally starts on the Thursday and ends on the Sunday on the second or third week of November.
All races are held on Saturday and Sunday, with the final rounds of the heavyweights Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix and the Touring Car Guia Race (the final 2 rounds of the World Touring Car Championship), as well as the FIA GT World Cup, held on the last day.
International and national series to include the race: Macau is a special event for motorcycle riders.
The Motorcycle Grand Prix has featured notable top-level riders, with winners of the race including MotoGP World Champion Kevin Schwantz, Superbike World Champion Carl Fogarty, notable MotoGP rider Ron Haslam and Isle of Man legends Michael Rutter, Michael Dunlop, and John McGuinness.
[9] The movie is about the 2013 edition of the Motorcycle Grand Prix and followed the team of Frank Heidger and riders Didier Grams and Marc Fistette.
The 2024 Motorcycle Grand Prix was cancelled following persistent heavy rains brought about by Typhoon Toraji.
The FIA GT World Cup is a race for GT3-spec cars, organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) and the Automobile General Association Macau-China (AAMC).
[21] 1967: Arsenio Laurel: Killed when he lost control of his Lotus 41 and hit the corner sea wall, now called Mandarin Bend.
[22] 1971: David Ma: whilst qualifying, he lost control of his Lotus 47 under braking for the Statue Corner, striking into a lamp post.
[23][24] 1972: Chan Shui Fat: at the Guia Race, his Mini Cooper went out of control at more than 100 mph and left the road.
[25][21] 1974: Dieter Glemser: during practice for the Guia Race, he lost control of his Zakspeed Ford Escort RS 1600 when it suffered from a blowout.
The car hit a sea wall, spun across the rain-soaked track and ploughed into the mostly unprotected crowd, consisting of several young spectators.
The third driver involved, Wong Weng Kwong, was critically injured after crashing into barrier at the same place immediately before collision.
[21] 2000 [zh]: Frans Verschuur: during the warm-up session for the Guia touring car race, his Renault Megane suffered a brake failure as he entered Lisboa.
[21] 2018: Sophia Flörsch: Suffered a spinal fracture after her Formula 3 car became airborne after contact leading into Lisboa corner, flipping over the catch fencing and striking a photographers' bunker.
In 2007, politician Stanley Au Chong-kit pointed out that the Macau Grand Prix should be suspended as it wastes money and brings negative impacts to locals.
Meanwhile, affairs commentator Tam Chi Keung suggested to move the Grand Prix event to Cotai.
[34] Due to travel restrictions, foreign racers and riders were not able to attend the 67th edition of the Grand Prix, making the event downgraded to "Greater Bay Area only".
However, the Macau SAR Government persisted in holding the Grand Prix using 250 million patacas which caused dissatisfaction among local people.
It also hoped to promote the recovery of the construction, transportation and automobile maintenance industries through the linkage effect of the Grand Prix, thus boosting the economy, creating jobs, increasing employment for citizens, and minimising the impact of the epidemic on society and people's livelihood.
[37] F3 racers Gabriele Minì, who finished the 2023 Macau Grand Prix in third, Laurens Van Hoepen and Nikita Bedrin expressed their unimpressed opinion on the change.
[41] Moreover, André Couto, who is the winner of the 2000 Macau Grand Prix, expected that the competitiveness and level of excitement wouldn't be affected.