Macau Grand Prix: Juri Vips and Rob Huff set new course records on crash-filled day at Guia circuit
- Estonian Red Bull junior driver gets round in 2:04.997 in F3 car before red flag interrupts
- ‘The King of Macau’ drives two of his best ever laps on the street circuit to take pole in WTCR race
It was a day typical of Macau motor racing at the Guia track on Friday, where the tight corners of the street circuit made sure for a day packed with action.
Sessions ran late after a number of crashes ensured it was a stop-start day of racing for frustrated drivers but the fans packing the grandstand got what they wanted.
Estonia’s Juri Vips played a large part of that with a record 2:04.997 lap in the Formula Three Macau Grand Prix qualifying session, the fastest ever recorded on the course. It was a time he expected.
“Nowadays the simulators are very accurate,” the Red Bull junior driver said, “though in a simulator the walls aren’t real so you can push a bit more.”
Vips and F3 champion Robert Shwartzman pushed plenty with the Russian ruing the red flag. Shwartzman felt that he could have caught Vips without the flag while looking forward to Saturday’s qualifying race. “I think tomorrow is going to be a really interesting one.”
