Junior Formula Series
Daniel Ricciardo and António Félix da Costa reveal their love affair with the Macau Grand Prix.
With Formula One gearing up for it’s end of season finale in Abu Dhabi, the attention of the motor racing world switches to another showpiece event: the Macau Grand Prix.
The race has been won by the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard. In recent years current members of the Red Bull Junior programme have been victorious: António Félix da Costa winning in 2012 and Alex Lynn in 2013. This year Max Verstappen will be up for the challenge, hoping to end his short junior category career on the highest of high notes before moving up to Formula One with Toro Rosso.
Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo grins and bounces on the balls of his feet whenever the Macau Grand Prix is mentioned.
Macau is the ultimate street circuit.
“Just hearing the name gets me excited. I love street circuits and Macau is the ultimate street circuit. It’s big, it’s ballsy. It’s Monaco but twice the length and even crazier. I like that a lot. It’s good fun.”
Commitment is the key to a successful weekend, says Daniel. “You need to commit. Street circuits don’t reward over-driving – because you crash – but you need to be committed. Basically it just requires balls.
Daniel went to Macau in 2009 as the Champion of British F3. Sadly his race ended on the first lap with a puncture that led to the mother of all pile-ups and a red flag – but that does not dim his enthusiasm – and five years later he’s prepared to give his teenage self a break.
I was young, dumb and full of… energy.
“It’s fun. It always creates crashes because we’re always hot-headed. I was young, dumb and full of… energy. I would love to go back there now with a bit more knowledge. It would be so much fun.”
Rather more successful at Macau was current Infiniti Red Bull Racing reserve driver António Félix da Costa, winning in 2012 second in 2013.
“You try to land in Macau as early as possible, maybe the Monday or Tuesday of the race. It’s very humid there, there’s a bit of jet-lag going on but it’s good to be around the track and not feel the pressure straight away.
“If you crash it’s a huge step backwards for the rest of the weekend because you’ll permanently be playing catch-up and to do a good lap, you’ll have to risk more than everybody else because you’ll be completely beyond your limits compared to those with more track-time.”
Like Ricciardo, Félix da Costa smiles at the very mention of the race. “It is the best circuit in the world – but not only that, it’s the best combination of car and circuit. The Formula 3 car just fits perfectly to that racetrack. I was a very happy boy when I was racing there.
I just want to keep going to Macau and win it a few more times.
Daniel agrees. “If Formula One never races there then I’m going to try to get as many F1 drivers as we can to enter one year and just do it. Because I have to race on that circuit again. I HAVE to. I HAVE to drive that circuit again. Once is not enough.”
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