Macau Grand Prix motorcycle street race returns after three-year hiatus

The Macau Grand Prix has been given a formal 2022 date for what will be the first running of the iconic motorcycle street race since 2019.

One of the primary dates in the road racing calendar, the Macau Grand Prix remains one of motorcycle racing’s most challenging and discerning events yet still attracts 25+ grids of mostly international riders.

However, the motorcycle race hasn’t been held since 2019 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions imposed on foreign travellers during the time the scaled down 2020 and 2021 Macau Grand Prix were held as locally populated four-wheel events only.

Nonetheless, though the legacy of the pandemic remains evident in some parts of China, of which Macau is designated a SAR (Special Administrative Region), the 2022 event will be open to international visitors once more when it goes ahead on 17 November.

Founded in 1954, the Macau Grand Prix is held on the Armco or concrete wall lined 6.1km Guia Circuit, which wends its way through the centre of the former Portuguese colony with a heady mix of full throttle high-speed stretches and tight, tricky sections.

For this reason, the event is well known for accidents and path blocking pile-ups in the F3 and GT races, while the long length of the track and minimal run off for bikers means red flags are a common occurrence during its sessions too.

This was particularly apparent during the last motorcycle Macau Grand Prix when an incident at the start of lap two led to a red flag. Because of schedule limitations brought about by needing to get the F3 main event underway on time, it meant the motorcycle race couldn’t restart and thus the results were declared based on the order after one lap.

As such, Michael Rutter was declared the winner for a record ninth time having crossed the line in the lead just moments before he was overtaken by Peter Hickman.

Fresh from securing four wins on the 2022 Isle of Man TT - bringing his career tally to nine - Hickman is expected to lead the Macau Grand Prix entry list once more this year on the FHO Racing BMW as he targets a fourth win on the event.

Previous winners have also included Glenn Irwin in 2017, Stuart Easton, Ian Hutchinson, Carl Fogarty and Kevin Schwantz.