Four Manufacturers and All-Star Cast for FIA GT World Cup in Macau 06.10.2016: SJM Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup The SJM Macau GT Cup - FIA GT World Cup has attracted

SJM Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup





The SJM Macau GT Cup - FIA GT World Cup has attracted a 24-car entry boasting eight manufacturers and an array of factory drivers and former winners on the Macao Guia street circuit.



Audi, Porsche, Mercedes and Lamborghini will fight it out for the FIA GT World Cup as the manufacturers who have registered for the governing body of motorsport’s end-of-season shoot-out for GT3 machinery. Each fields two cars as per the regulations. They will be joined on the grid by teams running Ferraris and BMWs, and a Bentley and a Nissan.


Mercedes returns to Macau for the second running of the FIA GT World Cup with the same team and drivers that won the inaugural event last year. Factory drivers Maro Engel of Germany, winner of the Macau GT Cup for the past two years, and Dutchman Renger van der Zande drive the two cars for the Mercedes-AMG Driving Academy team.



 New for 2016 is the Mercedes-AMG GT3, which replaces the successful Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.


Audi also has a multiple winner on the streets of Macao on its books in DTM driver Edoardo Mortara. The Italian, who has two wins in the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix and three in the Macau GT Cup, drives one of the two Audi R8 LMS GT3s registered for the World Cup entered by Audi Sport Team WRT from Belgium.


Mortara is joined by the driver who finished runner-up to him in the 2010 F3 Grand Prix, Laurens Vanthoor.



The Belgian is a multiple champion in the GT3 class, having won the FIA GT Series and the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2013 and '14 respectively, and will be making his second appearance in a GT3 car at Macau.



Porsche takes on the challenge of Macao with a pair of 911 GT3-Rs entered by the factory Manthey Racing, which won the 2015 FIA World Endurance Cup for GT Manufacturers.


New Zealander Earl Bamber, who won last year's Le Mans 24 Hours for the German marque, returns to Macao to race one, while Frenchman Kévin Estre takes the controls of the other.


Lamborghini is competing for the FIA GT World Cup title for the first time in 2016, although it previously won the Macau GT Cup with Japanese driver Keita Sawa in 2009 and ‘10.


The Italian manufacturer is represented by Macao regular FFF Racing, which competes in the GT Asia Series. Factory driver Mirko Bortolotti races one of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3s and André Couto, the only Macao driver to win the F3 Grand Prix, the other.


The D2 Racing Team fields an additional Mercedes for Taiwanese driver Kuo Hsin Kuo.


A further five Audis are on the entry for the FIA GT World Cup.


Macao regular Absolute Racing fields a car for Cheng Congfu, the first Chinese driver to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours, and Audi Hong Kong one for Hong Kong driver Marchy Lee.


The German Team HCB-Rutronik-Racing squad, which competes in its homeland in the DMV GTC series, has entered cars for Fabian Plentz and Tommy Tulpe, both newcomers to Macao’s iconic Guia Circuit.


Craft-Bamboo Racing returns to Macao, this time with Porsche, to field a pair of 911 GT3-Rs for two of its GT Asia Series regulars in Darryl O'Young, winner of the inaugural Macau GT Cup in 2008, and Richard Lyons.


GruppeM Racing, winner of the FIA GT2 title in 2005, has entered a car for Macao veteran Phillip Ma, while Modena Motorsports enters Porsche regional one-make series regular John Shen.


A solo Bentley Continental GT3 is run by Bentley Team Absolute for Hong Kong driver Adderly Fong, who has made an impressive debut in the Pirelli World Challenge this season.


BMW's factory representative in the Blancpain GT Series, Rowe Racing, has entered a solo BMW M6 GT3 for 28-year-old Nicky Catsburg. The Dutchman was part of the German manufacturer's winning line-up at the Spa 24 Hours in 2015.


Modena Engineering from Australia fields an older BMW Z4 GT3 for former Australian F3 champion and current Australian GT Championship driver Ricky Capo.


Two of Ferrari's new 488 GT3s will take part in the GT Cup. Spirit of Race, the sister team of World Endurance Championship GTE Pro frontrunner AF Corse, fields one for Thailand's Pasin Lathouras, and HubAuto Racing, which competes in the Japanese Super Taikyu series, has entered a car for Hiroki Yoshimoto.


The final manufacturer on the grid for the GT Cup is Nissan with a GT-R NISMO GT3 entered by the Chinese Spirit Z Racing Team for a driver who has yet to be confirmed.


The way the FIA GT World Cup title for manufacturers will be awarded has changed for 2016. The points system of last season has been abandoned, which means that the crown will go to the first registered manufacturer in the overall classification of the main race.


Qualifying for the Macau GT Cup - FIA GT Cup takes place on Friday, November 18 after two 30-minute sessions of free practice. A Qualification Race of 12 laps, or a maximum of one hour, takes place on Saturday, November 19.



The result sets the grid for the main event on Sunday, November 20, which will be fought out over 18 laps, or a maximum of 75 minutes, of the Macao Guia Circuit.





2015 SJM Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup



1.    Maro Engel    GER    Mercedes AMG Driving Academy    Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

2.    René Rast    GER    Audi Sport Team WRT    Audi R8 LMS

3.    Stefan Mücke    GER    Craft Bamboo    Aston Martin Vantage GT3




Fastest Lap: Stefan Mücke / Craft Bamboo / Lap 11 / 2:19.736 / 157.67 km/h

- PR Plus Hong KOng - also photo