While the Isle of Man TT, the Ulster GP and the North West 200 all rank very highly when it comes to the extremities of motorcycle racing, it is the end-of-season Macau GP event that arguably baffles us the most.
A high-speed street circuit event, the race sees a foolhardy group of riders duke it out BSB-style but do so around the Guia circuit, a demanding inner-city track blending eye-watering high-speeds, with technical hairpins and wheelie-inducing undulations. Oh, and it’s lined by walls and barriers.
For those unfamiliar with the Macau GP, the event has run since 1954 with a blend of single-seater, touring car and sportscar competition. Names such as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher have all won the Formula 3 race prior to becoming Formula 1 superstars, earning the mantle of the ultimate proving ground for young drivers.
Unusually, a motorcycle race was added to the schedule in 1976 and has endured where wall-lined two-wheel races were phased out everywhere else, making this a truly unique event.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise to find a familiar band of riders that tickle the rev limiter on the Mountain Course make the trip to the Portuguese colony located off the edge of China near Hong Kong, even if it presents a very different challenge than these cross-country sprints.
Peter Hickman has won three of the last four years, while Michael Rutter holds the most wins at eight (his first coming way back in 1998) though a number of notable short circuit racers have also etched their names into the winners’ trophy, including Glenn Irwin and Stuart Easton.
We won’t get into the debate over whether the Macau GP is the most challenging (or bonkers) road race out there versus the TT but you can’t deny watching these onboards it isn’t anything less than breathtaking as the riders twist the throttle and lean through slender passages at full gas, their head just inches from the wall.
Macau GP On board videos (the gyro cam is particularly ‘wow!’)
The 2019 Macau GP will see Hickman look to end a superb season with a fourth victory on the Bathams BMW, while Rutter – more than 20 years after his first win – rides a detuned Honda RC213V MotoGP machine. Other notable names include John McGuinness, Ian Hutchinson and Gary Johnson.
View the full 2019 Macau GP Motorcycle Entry List HERE
