The 2024 Macau Grand Prix, with its terrible typhoon-impacted weather and what felt like a never-ending sequence of crashes in practice, qualifying and the races themselves, were not the best advert for the switch from FIA Formula 3 machinery to slower Formula Regional cars, a move that was not widely welcomed by fans when it was first announced.<\/p>\n
But, after a much more satisfying spectacle this time around, there appears to be a growing acceptance within the paddock not only that Formula Regional is here to stay, but also that, despite the initial disappointment felt by some and inevitable nostalgia for the F3 era, that the new formula is just as capable of providing the stars of tomorrow with the platform they need to shine.<\/p>\n
Emanuele Pirro, who serves as the President of the FIA\u2019s single-seater commission, told select media at Macau including Autosport that he could understand why the decision to ditch F3 wasn\u2019t universally popular, but was adamant it was the right move to secure the event\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u201cMotorsport is a traditional sport, and I can\u2019t recall any change that was welcomed in the beginning, even good changes,\u201d Pirro admitted. \u201cBut if you look at the history of Macau, it started with Formula 2, or Formula Pacific, and then it went to Formula 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Luke](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/luke-browning-hitech-pulse-eig.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Luke Browning (pictured) won the last Macau GP to have used F3 cars<\/p>\n
Photo by: Macau GP<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 1984, a journalist might have asked, \u2018why are we not racing Formula 2 anymore?\u2019 I think it\u2019s inevitable. Everything comes with a price. For the privilege of having a circuit that has been unchanged throughout its history, the price to pay is to go with cars that can still be reasonably safe. I think Formula Regional provides a good balance in terms of speed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lap times from last weekend\u2019s main race were in the 2m16s range, around 10 seconds slower than those seen in the last year of FIA F3 machinery in 2023. Historically, that puts the Formula Regional cars on a rough par with Formula 3 cars from the late 1990s. But from a safety point of view, the speeds heading down to Lisboa are the main concern.<\/p>\n
With the tow, speeds in excess of 290km\/h (180mph) were commonplace in 2023, but the switch to Formula Regional has brought those back down to the 260km\/h (162mph) range.<\/p>\n
Prema boss Rene Rosin, who knows all about success in F3, doesn\u2019t see the change as negative. \u201cMaybe there are some people who are nostalgic for F3, but in the end, Formula Regional brings back the power-to-weight ratio to roughly where it was before,\u201d Rosin told Autosport. \u201cAnd to be honest, the current [FIA] F3 cars were probably a bit too fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Equally, Boya – one of two drivers in this year\u2019s field along with Charlie Wurz who were part of the field in 2023 – admitted the speeds that year were \u201cscary\u201d, but doesn\u2019t feel the challenge has been diminished with the move to slower cars.<\/p>\n
The Aston Martin junior driver told Autosport: \u201cMacau is a super-special experience and I enjoy it a lot. It\u2019s a really good challenge to adapt to a different car and a different way of driving, even if it\u2019s a step down. I feel a driver needs to be able to do this kind of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Mari](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/mari-boya-kcmg-enya-by-pinnacl.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Mari Boya, KCMG ENYA by Pinnacle Motorsport<\/p>\n
Photo by: Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee<\/p>\n
Alex Wurz, who was present at Macau to watch both of his sons Charlie and Oscar, gave a similar view. \u201cWhat you learn here in terms of car control, self-control, the highs and lows is equivalent to at least half a season of normal racing,\u201d he told Autosport. \u201cIt\u2019s outstanding. It makes every other track you race on feel pretty average, even Monaco.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe the most suitable car for this track would be the Euroformula Open car [Dallara F320], because you get more grip in the corners without very high top speeds, but the Regional car is still quick enough, faster than the F3 of the old days.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also worth adding that the move to Formula Regional was not motivated purely by safety concerns. One common criticism levelled towards Macau in the FIA F3 years was how it had become effectively a non-championship round of the international series, with all the same teams and not many drivers coming in who weren\u2019t already F3 full-timers.<\/p>\n
That has changed with the World Cup concept, with Pinnacle Motorsport and Evans GP coming from the Middle East championship and TOM\u2019S from the Japanese series, with a resulting influx of drivers from outside of the core Formula Regional European regulars.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe concept of a World Cup fits much better with Formula Regional,\u201d said Rosin. \u201cThere are 27 cars participating in the event, there are teams from Japan and Asia. If I look at the old F3, in 2018, there were no more British teams from outside the European championship and the Japanese teams were not as strong as they had been before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jun Yamada, the technical boss of TOM\u2019S who also masterminds the squad\u2019s Super Formula and Super GT operations in Japan, added: \u201cWhatever you think about it, \u2018classic\u2019 F3 doesn\u2019t exist any more, and even though you can\u2019t adjust these cars as much as you could before, it\u2019s still Macau, it\u2019s still a World Cup, and it\u2019s important for us to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Dan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/dan-ticktum-rodin-carlin.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Dan Ticktum, Rodin Carlin<\/p>\n
Photo by: Macau GP<\/p>\n
Privately, some in the paddock admit the Formula Regional branding is somewhat confusing for the viewing public. The fact that the FIA is pushing \u2018FR\u2019 as an abbreviation instead of using its full name could be interpreted as proof the governing body shares this view.<\/p>\n
Besides that, if there\u2019s one thing Macau arguably misses now, it\u2019s the presence of true star drivers taking multiple steps down the ladder from their regular categories in search of glory – as seen with Dan Ticktum and Marcus Armstrong as recently as the 2023 race.<\/p>\n
While there were several drivers stepping down from F3 level to race at Macau last weekend, Pinnacle team-mates Nael and Boya included, the FIA has moved to limit eligibility to drivers who have competed in no more than three races at Formula 2 level or higher. That effectively rules out full-on professional drivers like Ticktum and Armstrong from racing at Macau again.<\/p>\n
It also means that Boya, who is set to move up to F2 next season, will not get another shot at the victory he so craves unless the rules are changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decided to open the door to some [drivers stepping down], but also we have to keep room for the current Formula Regional drivers, because this is their stage,\u201d said Pirro. \u201cYou have to find a compromise, and this is the compromise we decided on.\u201d<\/p>\n
In any case, it seems doubtful many of the 116,000 spectators (up from 101,000 last year) who witnessed the action would have been put off by the change to Formula Regional.<\/p>\n
![\"Antonio](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/antonio-fuoco-af-corse-ferrari.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Antonio Fuoco, AF CORSE Ferrari 296 GT3<\/p>\n
Photo by: Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee<\/p>\n
Now more so than ever, Macau is a real multi-event affair, with the FIA GT World Cup well established alongside the motorcycles, Guia Race for TCR cars and the more esoteric GT and touring car races that give the event much of its local and regional flavour.<\/p>\n
On this front, one significant change for this year was the establishment of the FIA Formula 4 World Cup that saw 20 of the category\u2019s top competitors from various F4 series worldwide invited to do battle using an \u2018arrive-and-drive\u2019 format with centrally-run cars.<\/p>\n
With less downforce, the F4 cars proved just as entertaining to watch as their faster counterparts, perhaps even more so, as Jules Roussel took home the spoils following an intense duel with fellow French racer Rayan Caretti that ended in a crash for the latter.<\/p>\n
And the chances are that many of the drivers that featured in the F4 field – including second-generation racers Sebastian Wheldon and Rintaro Sato, as well as F1 star Oliver Bearman\u2019s younger brother Thomas \u2013 will be back in years to come in Formula Regional cars, having already gained valuable Macau experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That, in turn, should ensure future Formula Regional World Cup fields feature fewer Guia Circuit rookies, meaning fewer crashes and a better spectacle all round. The disappointment written all over Boya\u2019s face in the wake of his narrow defeat to his team-mate Nael on Sunday said it all: victory at Macau still matters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only time will tell what impact the likes of Nael and Roussel will see in their careers as a result of their success last weekend, but no matter the car, it\u2019s the track itself, the atmosphere and 72 years of history that makes the event special.<\/p>\n
F3 cars had a 40-year run providing the headline at Macau \u2013 and there\u2019s no reason why, as long as the category thrives elsewhere, Formula Regional couldn\u2019t have a similar run.<\/p>\n
Read Also:<\/p>\n
We want to hear from you!<\/p>\n
Let us know what you would like to see from us in the future.<\/p>\n