Preview: Macau set to shake up tight title battle

The iconic Circuito da Guia will host the second-to-last round of the 2017 World Touring Car Championship this weekend, as the fight for the ultimate glory enters its final phase.

Macau is without a doubt one of the most challenging circuits in the world, certainly in terms of set-up as the balance between the long straights of the first and third sector and the tight and twisty middle sector of the track is difficult to get right.

The nature of the track means the track is also especially unforgiving for drivers. There is no room for mistakes and an off can cost dearly, especially as this year there will be no Saturday off, a day which has been used in the past by teams to fix damaged cars should any mishaps occur in qualifying.

Bearing this in mind, it is no surprise championship leader and Macau rookie Thed Björk defines the race as “the biggest challenge of the season”. Having not driven on the streets of the former Portuguese colony could be a huge disadvantage, especially as team-mate Néstor Girolami has the same issue. Nicky Catsburg is the only Volvo driver with experience of the iconic track, having taken part in last season’s GT World Cup. There is no doubt the talent of the drivers will make up for the lack of experience, but it will surely mean extra work for Polestar Cyan Racing.

“Macau is the biggest challenge of the season,” said Björk. “It’s the penultimate round of the season and I have never have driven there before. I am the chased driver of the championship, but that is something I will use as a strength. I am right where I want to be – at the front of the pack – and we are in our strongest position yet with the development of the car. I feel confident, but of course we need to be on our toes all weekend and try not to make any errors. The consequences of mistakes in Macau can be significant.”

On the other side is Norbert Michelisz, who trails the Swede by 16.5 points in the championship. The Honda driver took his maiden WTCC win on the streets of Macau seven years ago in his debut season, and is happy to start with a bit of an advantage over his title rival. In fact, the Hungarian went as far as saying he hopes for some rain, which he might get on Saturday for the opening race.

“I’m so pleased to have Macau back on the calendar as it’s one of my favourite tracks and because I scored my first WTCC win in 2010,” said Michelisz. “This weekend is a crucial one because while I’m right in the middle of the championship battle, I still have to keep reducing the points gap to the leader to make sure I still have a chance in Qatar. Macau is a tough circuit where one mistake can cause a disaster, so we must put pressure on our rivals and stay strong ourselves.”

New team-mate Esteban Guerrieri, who continues to fill-in for the injured Tiago Monteiro at Honda, returns to Macau ten years after making his debut in the Formula 3 race. He was in the top five in the first qualifying session before crashing out at Mandarin, but he still has good memories of the track and could play a role in either helping Michelisz, or going as far as making a surprise jump into contention for the title, as anything can happen in Macau and the Argentinian is 48.5 points shy of the lead, with 120 left for grabs.

Although realistically out of contention for the title, Rob Huff should all but be counted out in Macau. The Brit has an impressive record of eight wins at the iconic circuit. Coming off the back of a positive weekend in the CTCC, the Münnich Motorsport driver is a likely candidate for more glory in the former Portuguese colony, especially as the Citroën C-Elysée WTCCs will carry no compensation weight for the first time.

All the ingredients are there for a great show, which will start off with free practice on Thursday at 13.10 local time (GMT +8, CET +7), lasting 45 minutes. The second free practice session will start at 9.10 local time, with qualifying beginning at 13.25 and MAC3 scheduled for 14.50.

The opening race will be held on Saturday, starting at 14.15 local time and running for eight 8 laps, with the main race scheduled for Sunday at 10.45 over a distance of 11 laps.

Entry list

No – Driver – Nat – Team – Car

3 – Tom Chilton – GBR – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
4 – Mak Ka Lok – MAC – RC Motorsport – Lada Vesta WTCC
5 – Norbert Michelisz – HUN – Castrol Honda WTC Team – Honda Civic WTCC
9 – Tom Coronel – NED – ROAL Motorsport – Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1
12 – Rob Huff – GBR – Munnich Motorsport – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
24 – Kevin Gleason – USA – RC Motorsport – Lada Vesta WTCC
25 – Mehdi Benanni – MAR – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
27 – John Filippi – FRA – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
30 – Ma Qing Hua – CHN – Sebastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
34 – Ryo Michigami – JPN – Honda Racing Team JAS – Honda Civic WTCC
44 – Wong Po Wah – HKG – Campos Racing – Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1
61 – Néstor Girolami – ARG – Polestar Cyan Racing – Volvo S60 TC1
62 – Thed Bjork – SWE – Polestar Cyan Racing – Volvo S60 TC1
63 – Nicky Catsburg – NED – Polestar Cyan Racing – Volvo S60 TC1
66 – Zsolt Szabo – HUN – Zengo Motorsport – Honda Civic WTCC
68 – Yann Ehrlacher – FRA – RC Motorsport – Lada Vesta WTCC
86 – Esteban Guerrieri – ARG – Castrol Honda WTC Team – Honda Civic WTCC
88 – Chan Kin Pong – HKG – Campos Racing – Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1
99 – Daniel Nagy – HUN – Zengo Motorsport – Honda Civic WTCC

Timetable

Thursday 16th November

13:10 – Free Practice 1

Friday 17th November

9:15 – Free Practice 2
13:25 – Qualifying
14:50 – MAC3

Saturday 18th November

14:15 – Opening Race (8 laps)

Sunday 19th November

10:45 – Main Race (11 laps)

Compensation weight

Car – Final weight – Ballast

Volvo S60 TC1 – 1,180kg – +80kg
Honda Civic WTCC – 1,170kg – +70kg
Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 – 1,110kg – +10kg
Citroën C-Elysée WTCC – 1,100kg – +0kg
Lada Vesta WTCC – 1,100kg – +0kg