The Macau Grand Prix in 1983 was special for several reasons. While it was the 30th running of the event, it was the first for Formula Three cars, previously having run Formula Atlantic. Two Kiwi run teams were part of the entry with Dick Bennetts West Surrey Racing fielding one driver, Ayrton Senna, and Murray Taylor Racing with two entries, Mario Hytten and Davy Jones.
Senna had won the 1983 British Formula Three Championship and 1984 would see his Formula One debut with Toleman-Hart.
Senna was to set the fastest lap in qualifying and went on to win the qualifying race (race 1) and the Grand Prix (race 2).
Also in the field were Tommy Bryne, Martin Brundle, Vern Schuppan and Gerhard Berger.
It wasn’t such a straight forward win for Senna as Dick Bennetts explains:
“The first year (1983) it was new for everyone and that was the challenging thing,” commented Bennetts. “No one had been there before and when we first got there and saw the track wondered what the hell were we doing here. Compared to what it is now it was very antiquated with no facilities at all.
“Aryton (Senna) didn’t arrive until the Wednesday night as he had been testing I think a Brabham at Paul Richard (France). He didn’t get a chance to practice and was straight into qualifying on Thursday. So to get pole position and be jet-lagged, plus switching to Yokohama tyres (like everyone) it was quite challenging.
“It was one of those circuits that ‘evolved’ over the weekend. The other teams had been there since the Sunday so they had walked the tracked etc already. Aryton hadn’t seen the track at all so to put it on pole position was quite something.
“Something happened Friday night, I still don’t know what, to this day. We didn’t run on a Saturday in those days and we were meant to have a debrief at 1pm on the Saturday afternoon. Aryton didn’t turn up until nearly 5 o’clock. I said to him, “It’s a bit late mate,” to which he said “I don’t feel well, I have been sleeping”.
“I thought it may have been jet-lag but then on Sunday rumours started to come through and I was asked what he (Senna) got up to on Friday night. I said I didn’t know, to be told he had been out drinking. I said no, he doesn’t drink so don’t wind me up. However, the story goes that someone may have spiked his drink in a bar. I honestly don’t know what happened.
“In the end he won race 1, and after said, “Leave the car as it is, it’s me, I need to go back to the hotel and have a sleep.” So he disappeared back to the hotel for two or three hours, came back, got in the car and went out and won race 2.”
Best placed driver for Murray Taylor Racing was Mario Hytten in ninth. His team mate Davy Jones had finished as high as fourth in the qualifying race but retired out of the Grand Prix on lap 11.
Such was Senna’s talent on display at Macau, this was just the beginning as 1984 would see him embark on his Formula One career.
1983 Macau Grand Prix results (Top 10)
1 Ayrton Senna West Surrey Racing
2 Roberto Guerrero Eddie Jordan Racing
3 Gerhard Berger Trivellato Racing
4 Martin Brundle Eddie Jordan Racing
5 Eje Elgh Autobacs Racing Team
6 Allen Berg Eddie Jordan Racing
7 Jean-Louis Schlesser David Price Racing
8 Kris Nissen MC Motorsport
9 Mario Hytten Murray Taylor Racing
10 Bob Earle Flying Tigers Racing
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