FIA GT World Cup Returns to Macau with Competitive 16-Car Lineup
The FIA GT World Cup is set to take place from November 13-16, 2025, at the renowned 6.12 km Guia Circuit in Macau, featuring a 16-car grid from six different GT3 manufacturers. This year’s event showcases 16 drivers from 12 nationalities, including eight FIA Platinum-ranked competitors, as part of the 72nd Macau Grand Prix week.
Significantly, Mercedes-AMG will not participate, a decision influenced by the introduction of torque sensors this year. Sources confirmed the logistical and financial challenges of adapting to this new technology in Southeast Asia contributed to their withdrawal, a notable deviation from last year’s 23-car field.
Defending champion Raffaele Marciello, aiming for a third title, leads BMW’s charge with ROWE Racing. Team WRT’s Sheldon van der Linde will also compete, continuing his strong performance from the previous year.
Andreas Roos, head of BMW M Motorsport, stated, “After the bitter main race last year, we still have unfinished business. This year, we aim to claim that win with the EVO version of our GT car.”
Ferrari is entering three 296 GT3s, including 2024 Le Mans winner Antonio Fuoco with AF Corse, Yifei Ye from Harmony Racing, and rookie Deng Yi with Winhere Motorsports.
Lamborghini strengthens its lineup with Absolute Corse, fielding two Huracán GT3 Evo 2s for Edoardo Mortara and Luca Engstler. Mortara, with seven Macau victories, aims to recapture the crown last won in 2017.
Porsche leads the manufacturer entries with five 911 GT3 R cars, featuring 2019 Macau winner Laurens Vanthoor among others. Alexandre Gibot, managing director of Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd., expressed excitement about their lineup: “We believe we have the potential to fight at the sharp end of the grid.”
Audi Sport returns with two R8 LMS GT3 Evo2s and local representative Adderly Fong. McLaren makes its first Macau appearance since 2015, entering a GT3 Evo with Optimum Motorsport for Benjamin Goethe.
For the 2025 event, a new qualifying format will be introduced. Following the traditional 30-minute session, the top ten drivers will engage in a “Super Pole” shootout, each completing two timed laps on fresh tires. The race structure remains unchanged, featuring a 12-lap Qualification Race on Saturday, setting the stage for the 16-lap Main Race on Sunday.
The FIA GT World Cup again shares the spotlight with the FIA Formula Regional World Cup, the Kumho Tire FIA TCR World Tour finale, and the debut of the FIA Formula 4 World Cup, making this event one of the premier racing weekends in the Asia-Pacific region. Fans can follow the action live on the FIA’s official YouTube channel.
