In an ever-growing calendar of race events in Asia, which this year for the first time will include a Formula One race in Singapore, Macau will have to fight to keep the its profile, said researchers from the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT).

More than 15,000 tourist and residents were surveyed on their experiences and opinions of the event last year. The growing Asian race calendar and increasing knowledge of attendees of the local race should be a signal to organisers that Macau needs to set itself apart, said Don Dioko, professor and director of research at the tourism school.

“The Macau Grand Prix is experiencing more competition, especially from races in Shanghai and Singapore,” he said. “The organiser needs to think about packaging or bundling the Grand Prix with other attractions to entice visitors.”

The overwhelming majority of visitors that attended last year’s race were aware of other events close to the SAR and a growing number intend to visit the races in the future.
Almost 80 percent of visitors were aware of the Shanghai race and some 35 percent intended to watch the race in the future.

Seventy percent “had knowledge” of the Zhuhai A1 Grand Prix, held in December last year, although only nine percent planned to watch the race. Although only 53 percent of visiting spectators had heard of the Malaysian Formula One race, almost 38 percent planned to watch it in the future, lifting it to the most popular Asian race of those surveyed.

Of more than 60 percent of the 5,075 visitors that were surveyed at different locations during last year’s race weekend, 61 percent had either watched the local Grand Prix live or on television.
Some 47 percent of residents also took in at least some of the action, however only nine percent watched it live.

High ticket prices kept many locals behind the television during the weekend, the research concluded.

“Residents should be encouraged to watch the race [live] by lowering the ticket prices,” said Patrick Lo, IFT lecturer. “Affordable tickets remains an issue with residents”.

Lowering gate prices could also encourage visitors who arrive to see the race to spend more, the research concluded.

Although visitors surveyed who attended the race spent an average of three days in Macau, compared with the two day average stay on non-race going visitors, the race fans spent less.

In total 3,552 patacas was spent by visitors who watched the race compared with 3,656 patacas spend by visitors who didn’t, excluding amounts spent on gambling.

However both groups handed out more than the 1,637 patacas the average guest of the city spent last year.

Pricing that combines race tickets with other attractions, such as accommodation at a casino-resort should be considered to bring more visitors to the event and encourage “freer” spending, said Mr Dioko.

Holding the local food festival during the Grand Prix weekend was seen as a good initiative, with more of a “festival” environment needed to continue to encourage race visitors and stave off competing races, the researches said yesterday.

“The Grand Prix should be looked at not only as a race but an entertainment event in order to give visitors more reason to come to Macau,” said Mr Dioko.

The Macau Grand Prix, which was first held in 1954 has however built up a loyal following. Of the visitors surveyed, 34 percent had attended the race in the past.

Overall residents said they are proud of the “prestigious” event that is one of the city’s leading attractions. Although most wanted to see it continue, there is mounting concern about the traffic chaos the race causes, the research showed.

The overwhelming majority of those surveyed believe that the event creates traffic jams.

However researchers were reluctant to suggest altering the circuit.

“The current circuit is has a long tradition and organisers could have to think very long and hard before moving it,” said Mr Lo.

Courtesy :: Macau Daily Times

• 54th Grand Prix of Macau All Ready to Go
• Grand Prix of Macau Breaks All Attendance Reords
• USA Women’s National Team Prepares for Second World Grand Prix
• Rodolfo Avila Accomplished Mission in 54th Macau F3 Grand Prix
• Grand Prix of Macau

Rodolfo Avila at Grand Prix of Macau 2007

The 20-year old Macau driver was the best of local driver in 2007 Macau GP F3 race, and he is looking for several options to prepare correctly the 2008 edition. Looking to the future, Avila is pursuing a number of racing options but he doesn’t forget his mission to defend Macau colours in the most prestigious motorsport circuits.

“Obviously my first choice remains International Formula Master. I know I can get much better results than I did in 2007. Anyway the last word is in the hands of my sponsors. It is important to me, however, to keep my race skills fully exercised. Therefore, I have been considering other options for the 2008 season. There are good opportunities outside of Europe like Japanese F3, which I want to explore and I am very much looking forward to developments in the coming weeks”, says Avila.

2007 was Avila’s first season in International Formula Master (IFM) and his first in European single seaters having graduated from British and Asian motor racing. A couple of strong performances at Pau (France) and Anderstorp (Sweden) last season saw him helping Cram Competition to achieve the IFM Teams’ titl

Website: RodolfoAvila.com 

• Rodolfo Avila is Ready for 54th Grand Prix of Macau
• Rodolfo Avila Leaves Performance Racing
• Macau’s Hero Rodolfo Avila Ready to Tackle GP of Macau
• Rodolfo Avila Joins Cram to Race in FMI
• Rodolfo Avila Ready To Fly!

Oceanus Casino

Oceanus Casino Nicely Tucked in Between Fishermans Wharf and Macau Ferry

We also noticed that the floating Macau Palace Casino, which was recently closed and is on the new Oceanus Casino site, now has completely disappeared. Apparently it is in China being refurbished to be moored in a new location, possibly Fishermans Wharf.

Macau Palace Casino March 2007

Macau Palace Casino Gone Sailing

Macau Palace Casino Disappeared

Currently the New YoHan department store has a massive clearance sale going on and is getting ready for demolition. Also, as pointed out by our reader Othello, the Jai Alai Casino which you see in the back of this picture below will go as well.

Following are some pictures to show just how massive this project is!

New Yohan From the Macau Grand Prix Stand

Possibly Macau Oldest Casino the Jai Alai

From the Back of New YoHan Facing Towards Macau Palace Casino Entry

Back of New YoHan Facing Macau Ferry Terminal

For more updates check out Macau Casino site!

• Oceanus Casino to Start Construction in June 2008?
• Oceanus Casino update
• Stanley Ho Drops Oceanus Project, But Extends Jai Alai Casino
• MGM Grand Macau Opening 18 December 2007
• Fisherman’s Wharf Macau A Failure?

Rodolfo getting ready for Macau Grand Prix

After a slight crash on Thursday Free Practice 1 Avila decided to not take unnecessary risks. In the Saturday’s Qualifying Race Avila started from 26th to climb nine positions during the 10 laps around the famous Guia Circuit. “The weekend didn’t start brightly for me but we worked hard to get better. I didn’t want to take risks in the first weekend race so I kept my pace, and I controlled my advantage to the other Macanese drivers”, held the #28 HBR Motorsport driver.

On Sunday the 20 year-old Macanese driver challenged the front runners at the start and finished the weekend top local driver. Commenting on Macau GP’s adventure, Rodolfo Avila said: “I did a very good start, and I was 9th at some point but then I decided to not interfere with top-runners fight. That wasn’t my war. I settle on my objectives, and I kept my head cooler. When I saw I had a comfortable advantage to the other Macanese opponents I slowed down a bit. I learned an awful lot out there today and it will only help me for future”.

The Macau SAR international motorsport ambassador is looking forward next season “At the moment I don’t know what is going to happen next season. I have several proposals from several championships but we have to speak with our sponsors before. I owe a great deal of thanks to Macau Government, Macau-slot.com, BNU, CESLAsia, PAL AsiaConsult, TsingTao Beer, Fat Siu Lau Restaurant, Sujika Crafts, PT Asia and Chubb, and to every Macanese who supported me during the season 2007”.

Season 2008… Coming soon…

For more info, please contact:
Webpage: www.rodolfoavila.com
Email: info@rodolfoavila.com
Telef.: +85366881829 or
+351963258610

• Rodolfo Avila is Ready for 54th Grand Prix of Macau
• Rodolfo Avila Ready to Take Off in the Grand Prix of Macau
• Macanese Rodolfo Avila Confident of Seat in 2008 Season
• Macau’s Hero Rodolfo Avila Ready to Tackle GP of Macau
• Avila On Podium Again

Macau Grand Prix F3 Drivers line-up with Pansy Ho

Afterwards, the Briton was in no doubt about how special the result was for him. “It is the biggest race win of my career,” he said. “I’ve won some big races and also the McLaren/Autosport Award, but this tops them all I think.”

Jarvis made a perfect getaway from pole position to lead into Lisboa Bend and, despite nearly hitting the wall at the first corner, he instantly opened up an advantage to control things from the front.

Fellow front row starter Marko Asmer had managed to draw alongside Jarvis’s TOM’S car away from the line, but he lost ground on the straight and dropped behind Kazuya Oshima and then also Sam Bird on the run down to the first turn.

Asmer managed to recover third position at the start of lap two when he slipstreamed Sam Bird down the main straight and moved ahead under braking for Lisboa. He then started closing in on second placed Oshima, before a safety car was called out on lap seven when Frenchman Frank Mailleux crashed heavily at Moorish Hill.

Jarvis timed the restart on lap 11 perfectly, opening up a one-second lead over Oshima, while behind him Asmer lost third place to Kodai Tsukakoshi on the run down to Mandarin Bend.

Tsukakoshi got another position on the run to Lisboa on lap 13 when he went around the outside of Oshima – but he did not have enough speed to do anything about Jarvis.

Oshima finished third, with Asmer taking fourth place. Brazilian Roberto Streit was fifth, with Sam Bird sixth, James Jakes seventh and Romain Grosjean recovering from his dramas in race one to claim eighth at the flag.

Courtesy: Macau Grand Prix Committee

• Macanese Rodolfo Avila Best of Macau Drivers
• Mike Conway Wins Grand Prix of Macau
• Asmer tops Thursday F3 qualifying
• Kobayashi’s Rivals Convinced He Is Beatable
• Kobayashi On Pole Grand Prix of Macau

Rodolfo Avila getting ready for qualifying session

The conditions for the qualifying race were perfect, although a little too hot for the slippery track, meaning tyre pressure was an important part of race tactics today. Rodolfo was starting from 28th position on the grid.
Rodolfo at the grid for the qualifying race

Oliver Jarvis has taken victory in the qualifying race for the Macau Grand Prix after coming out on top of a race long battle with British F3 International Series title winner Marko Asmer.

Rodolfo Avila had a great start and despite a few incidents along the way manage to slowly better his position to 17th on the grid for tomorrows race. He still was not quite happy with the set-up of his car, so he will work with his tea tonight to fulfill his goal to finish as Macau’s top driver in the Grand Prix of Macau. His team mate Marco van Dam stalled at the start of qualifying, but still managed to hold on 14th position on the grid.

In a race that was red-flagged following a number of incidents, Jarvis took victory when the result was called at the completion of seven laps, the Team Reckless Tom’s man finishing less than two seconds ahead of Asmer and fellow Tom’s driver Kazuya Oshima who completed the podium.

As is the norm in Macau, there was drama at the start with a multi-car incident coming on the run down to Lisboa that eliminated front-runners Sebastien Buemi and Edoardo Mortara from the race and delayed a number of other runners. Jarvis meanwhile had lost the lead at the start and was following Asmer when the Safety Car was deployed to remove the Signature Plus car of Esteban Guerrieri — which had avoided the first corner incident only to go off later round the lap.

However, two incidents in as many laps — one involving Nico Hulkenberg and Bruno Senna and one including Atte Mustonen — led to the race being halted and the result counted back to lap seven, giving Jarvis victory.

With thanks to Rodolfo Avila and the HBR Racing Team

• Exclusive: Macau Daily Blog to Attend GP of Macau Grand Prix as Guest of Rodolfo Avila
• Rodolfo Avila Leaves Performance Racing
• Rodolfo Avila Welcomes Macau Daily Blog
• Oliver Jarvis Dominates Grand Prix of Macau
• Rodolfo Avila Accomplished Mission in 54th Macau F3 Grand Prix

For someone like us who have never been in the pits before at Formula Three car racing, it was an fantastic day and experience indeed.

Upon arrival, we were immediately welcomed by Rodolfo Avila and talked a little bit about his season this year in the International Formula Masters Series in which his team won the championship.

He said that he had a pretty disappointing season and is looking forward to do better with racing again next year.

In this year’s Formula Three Macau Grand Prix he is racing with the HBR team where he is driving a 220 HP Mercedes powered Dallara chassis car. A fast lap around the track takes about 2 minutes and 15 seconds, fasted time today was by Oliver Jarvis at 2:14.149.

Rodolfo managed a disappointing 28th place with 2:17:392, whilst his team mated Marco van Dam, whom happens to Dutch like us, finished 14th with a best time of 2:13:351.

We are looking forward to a great qualifying session on Saturday, with big improvements expected by both drivers.

Todays, Friday 16 November 2007, qualifying times; GP of Macau

• Macanese Rodolfo Avila Best of Macau Drivers
• Rodolfo Avila Leaves Performance Racing
• Rodolfo Avila is Ready for 54th Grand Prix of Macau
• Macanese Rodolfo Avila Confident of Seat in 2008 Season
• Macau’s Hero Rodolfo Avila Ready to Tackle GP of Macau

Ayrton Senna triumphed in that first F3 race on the Guia circuit and Bruno has made no secret of the fact that he is returning to the category to stage a repeat at the anniversary event.

“I think it would be very interesting to have the name of the family written twice in the books here,” Senna told autosport.com at Macau. “If it can happen that would be very nice.”

Senna finished second in an Asian Formula Renault race at Macau in 2004, and failed to finish during his only previous outing in the F3 Grand Prix in 2005. Last year he was forced to miss the event because of budget reasons, but has decided to make the step down from GP2 for a final chance of victory.

“I wanted to race here last year and I couldn’t because I didn’t have enough cash,” he explained. “This year the deal was done with the Macau government and Galaxy StarWorld Hotels, so I am here.

“For me, the Guia circuit is the best circuit in the world. It is my favourite track of all and it is a real privilege to come here and be able to race. I am taking maybe my last opportunity to race here.”

Having only had one day of testing at Pembrey prior to the event, Senna has vowed to take things easy in tomorrow’s first practice sessions.

“It is not too hard to dial back into the car. Obviously I will spend the first session dialling back into the circuit and the car, but there is no rush.

“The circuit will be slower on the first day anyway, so I will keep everything for second qualifying and then hope that it doesn’t rain – although I don’t think it will. It should be good.”

When asked whether or not he considered himself one of the favourites for victory, with his Raikkonen-Robertson Racing team having won last year with Mike Conway, Senna said: “It is hard to say because obviously I am out of the car for a year and I am competing against people who have been driving this car for two years maybe.

“So it is going to be a tough challenge but I think the GP2 championship has given me good experience and good racecraft. I think I am racing better than ever and I hope it is enough to win this race.”

Courtesy: AutoSport.com

• HiTech Racing Fully Prepared for the Grand Prix of Macau
• Kimi Raikkonen to Attend Macau Grand Prix?
• Rodolfo Avila is Ready for 54th Grand Prix of Macau
• Macanese Rodolfo Avila Best of Macau Drivers
• Rodolfo Avila Ready to Take Off in the Grand Prix of Macau

The Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix is the FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup, the only race in the category to hold the title, and the reason why it is perceived as the world cup of Formula 3.

Because the race is the focus of the international motorsport community, Formula 3 drivers across the globe are keen to have a seat on the grid, hoping to show their talent, draw the attention of a Formula One team, and realize the dream of racing at the pinnacle of the sport.

The Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix has long been the stepping stone for young racing drivers to Formula One. Many drivers have successfully drawn the attention of the Formula One fraternity following a strong performance at Macau, such as the winner of the inaugural Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix Ayrton Senna, seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard. All of these drivers made their names after competing at Macau.

Many of the current generation of Formula One drivers are also graduates of Macau, including Lewis Hamilton, who made his debut in Formula 1 this year and almost won the title, Robert Kubica, Sebastian Vettel and Takuma Sato.

The status of the Macau race and its importance to a drivers’ career mean it attracts the best racers from the top national and regional championships. This year sees an extremely strong field with the champions and leading drivers from the British, European, Japanese and German series. With the possible realization of the dream of reaching Formula 1, the drivers will be going all out for the title this weekend, meaning an exciting battle is on the cars for motorsport fans!

Source:  Macau Grand Prix Committee

• 54th Grand Prix of Macau All Ready to Go
• Rodolfo Avila Ready to Take Off in the Grand Prix of Macau
• Rodolfo Avila is Ready for 54th Grand Prix of Macau
• Macau Grand Prix 2008 Has New Sponsor and Race Programme
• Macau’s Hero Rodolfo Avila Ready to Tackle GP of Macau

Taking part from the touring car camp was two-time Champion Andy Priaulx teamed up with Gabriele Tarquini and Alain Menu to relay with fellow drivers Augusto Farfus, Macau veteran Tom Coronel and Nicola Larini. From the Formula 3 camp was Bruno Senna, Marko Asmer and Kazuya Oshima on the first relay, team with Rodolfo Avila, Brendon Hartley and Nicolas Hulkenberg on the second relay. Rounding out the event entry was six-time Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix winner Michael Rutter, with fellow riders Les Shand and 2003 winner John McGuinness. The second team consisted of Conor Cummins, Joao Fernandes and Supersport class racer Cameron Donald.

It was the touring car driver’s team of Yvan Muller, Gabriele Tarquini and Robert Huff who proved too strong for their competition as they won the time trial, completing the 200-meter course in 1 minute and 13 seconds. The Formula 3 team consisting of Romain Grosjean, Oliver Jarvis and Yelmer Buurman came in second with a time of 1 minute and 22 seconds, and the motorcycle team of John Haner, Jeremy Toye and Mark Miller finished third, clocking in 1 minute and 24 seconds.

• 54th Grand Prix of Macau All Ready to Go
• Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix Most Prestigious Race
• Rodolfo Avila Welcomes Macau Daily Blog
• Macau Grand Prix 2008 Has New Sponsor and Race Programme
• Grand Prix of Macau Will Be Hot!