Tsingtao Beer Absolute Racing Porsche Top-5 in the FIA GT World Cup at Macau
Tsingtao Beer-liveried Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (Type 992) driven by Laurens Vanthoor finished fifth in the Macau GT Cup, part of the FIA GT World Cup during the 71st Macau Grand Prix at the renowned Circuito da Guia in Macau.
Absolute Racing and Tsingtao Beer partnered for the second consecutive year, showcasing the world’s most famous Chinese beer brand on the No. 25 Porsche 911 GT3 R (Type 992), driven by Porsche driver Laurens Vanthoor, in the seventh edition of Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup.
This year, the No. 25 Porsche 911 GT3 R (Type 992) featured a dragon-inspired red and gold livery to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Macau SAR, replacing Tsingtao’s classic colors. The new design paid homage to Chinese culture and symbolizes luck and power, and it was a huge success between the fans and spectators of the biggest motor racing event in South China.
Practice and Qualifying - Mixed Feelings
During a weather-affected weekend, on Thursday, following an initial session to familiarize with the track, Laurens Vanthoor demonstrated impressive pace under challenging conditions, securing second place in the second free practice at the Guia Circuit. The Belgian driver ended the day feeling optimistic. “I’m feeling good and confident! I've got another dream to chase to make 2024 even more incredible,” he remarked.
Come Friday, with the track dry and the cost of any mistake exceedingly high, Laurens Vanthoor continued to push, though he lacked the necessary straight-line speed to advance further up the grid. The FIA World Endurance Driver Champion nevertheless secured a commendable seventh position for Saturday's Qualifying Race, only 0.734 seconds adrift of pole position.
Qualification Race - Damage Limitation
Despite a valiant effort from the team and the driver, who managed to extract the utmost from the car, finishing as the lead Porsche team, there was little to be done in the initial 12-lap Qualification Race. Laurens Vanthoor dropped one place at the start but continued to push aggressively, ultimately securing eighth position.
"It was all about damage limitation today. Tomorrow is the Main Race, and with a bit of luck or the typical Macau drama, we might be able to shake things up. I will give it my all regardless," he commented.
Main Race - The Only Way Was Up
Starting from eighth on the fourth row, Laurens Vanthoor faced a challenging rain-soaked race, following the results of Saturday's Qualifying Race. The 22-car field commenced under the safety car, which led the pack for five laps before releasing them with just 11 laps remaining.
As expected, the race was intense, with the track gradually drying out and the pace increasing lap by lap. Vanthoor demonstrated remarkable composure and focus, skillfully avoiding any risky moves that could have cost him valuable positions. He also kept his teammate in front alert, effectively managing the cars behind them throughout the race.
In a track notorious for its difficulty in overtaking, Vanthoor perseverance paid off by advancing three positions to cross the finish line in a commendable fifth place, leaving fans eager for what’s next for Tsingtao Beer and Absolute Racing in the Macau Grand Prix!
Ingo Matter, Team Principal of Absolute Racing, said: "It was a challenging weekend. We have been the top-performing Porsche team, and it would have been wonderful to secure a podium finish, but we are pleased to have maximised the performance of our package. We gained a few positions in the Main Race due to some luck during the race, especially considering that overtaking here is nearly impossible, particularly with the speed differential we face. We are delighted to have partnered with Tsingtao Beer, particularly as the special livery was a tremendous success among fans."
Laurens Vanthoor added: “This isn't quite the result we were hoping for. I was behind my teammate and I couldn't really take many risks to overtake, as he was stuck behind a BMW and unable to pass. I believe there was potential for more, but it was very difficult to overtake in these conditions. The car is in one piece, and finishing in fifth place is the maximum we could achieve.”
