2022 Macau Grand Prix switches to two-race format

History is to be made at next month’s Macau Grand Prix with the entry of well-known Dutch female racer Nadieh Schoots and it will also be the first time two motorcycle races have been staged on one day, both over eight laps of the 3.8-mile track.

But rules may have to be changed to allow a smaller field than the 22 entries currently required.

This historic event, the 54th, is returning to the Guia road circuit, regarded by many as one of the more dangerous, after an absence of two years. And so far has attracted only 15 entries with a month to go. One of them is former WorldSBK and Supersport rider Sheridan Morais, another is Joey Thompson on the Heatteach racing BMW S1000RR.

Thompson describes competing at Macau as “chasing the dream” in spite of the travelling costs and quarantine which still applies to foreign visitors.

It is the prospect of the latter, which can mean spending several days in a hotel, which has discouraged top riders and teams from the UK. They have already chased the dream, not totally confined to the racing, and are prepared to give it a miss.

But with the four day Grand Prix, which is for both two wheels and four, kicking off on November 17 there is still time to fill the grid which already has 13 entries including a number of riders well known in Europe.

The entry list so far is: Nadieh Schoots, Andre Pires, Raul Torres, Erno Kostamo, Julian Trummer, Paul Williams, David Datzer, Rob Hodson, Sheridan Morais, Joey Thompson, Matt Stevenson, Laurent Hoffman, Lucas Maurer.