There will be four Porsche 911 GT3 R at the starting line of the FIA GT World Cup in Macau (China) from 15 to 18 November. The Manthey-Racing team will be using two of the vehicles – each with around 500 hp – driven by Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium).
Two-time Le Mans winner Bamber will be joining the race in a car that has been given a particularly special look: an eye-catching red and gold design that’s inspired by the Chinese year of the dog.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” commented Bamber. “I can hardly wait to finally drive in Macau again – it’s one of my absolute favourite races. Two years ago we had a car there with perfect set-up, and I hope that we will be very competitive again.
“I’m also really excited that my car’s design celebrates the year of the dog from the Chinese horoscope – my many fans in Asia will think that’s great.”
Two more cars will be prepared by customer team Craft Bamboo Racing, for Porsche Young Professional Mathieu Jaminet (France) and Chinese local hero Darryl O’Young.
The race
The Guia Circuit, 6,115 km long and located in the former Portuguese colony of Macau, is considered one of the most difficult street circuits in the world. Located in Asia’s gambling paradise, this track’s long straights, fast bends, and spectacular sections such as the Lisboa Bend are renowned far beyond China’s borders. And the course has another extraordinary feature too: in all training sessions and races, there’s a strict ban on overtaking in the “Melco Hairpin”. Car and motorbike races have been held on the streets of Macau – some of which are just seven metres wide – since 1954, and the FIA GT World Cup has been a fixed item on the agenda of the Macau Grand Prix weekend since 2015.
The Porsche drivers at the FIA GT World Cup
Factory driver Laurens Vanthoor is aiming for his second victory at the GT World Cup in the car with starting number 911. The Belgian won the 2016 race in spectacular fashion. Shortly before the finish line, Vanthoor slid into the crash barrier as he battled Earl Bamber – now his colleague – flipped the car, and then crossed the line on its roof, taking first place.
These two Macau specialists were the key players during that weekend of racing two years ago. Bamber will drive the car with starting number 912 in 2018, with Porsche Young Professional Mathieu Jaminet taking to the start line for the first time. The Frenchman will be driving in the Porsche 911 GT3 R with starting number 991. In the sister car (number 55), Hong Kong Chinese driver Darryl O’Young is celebrating a home game, just 65 km from where he lives.
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