Macau GP: Theo Nael wins thriller as Freddie Slater crashes out

Theo Nael scored victory in a thrilling Macau Grand Prix with a double pass into Lisboa, as polesitter Freddie Slater crashed out of second place.

Pinnacle Motorsport driver Nael was running third behind his team-mate Mari Boya and Enzo Deligny at the final safety car restart with two laps to go, and catapulted ahead thanks to the slipstream on the long run down to Lisboa.

With the safety car being called again shortly after, that pass sealed the win for Nael, who led a Pinnacle 1-2 ahead of Aston Martin junior driver Boya. R-ace GP's Deligny completed the podium in third.

For the bulk of the 15-lap race, the lead was fought between Boya and Slater, who lost out to his fellow front-row starter on the opening lap having started from pole.

A five-car pileup at San Francisco brought out the first safety car almost immediately, which offered Formula Regional European champion Slater the chance to repass Boya with an expertly-judged move around the outside at Lisboa.

With the pace advantage in the mountain section, it looked as if it would be plain sailing for Slater, but a crash for Oscar Wurz brought out the safety car for a second time.

At the second restart with five laps to go, Boya used the slipstream to great effect to get back around Slater.

Later on that lap, Slater ran slightly off-line heading through R Bend and swiped the barriers, taking the left-rear corner off his Prema machine and bringing out the safety car again.

That left Boya fending off Deligny and Nael at the final restart, but it was Nael who managed to get the advantage by going all the way around the outside of his two rivals into Lisboa.

Freddie Slater, SJM Theodore Prema Racing

Photo by: Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee

Two separate clashes further back – one involving Rashid Al Dhaheri and Toyota-backed Jin Nakamura exiting Lisboa, the other involving Charles Leong and Tokiya Suzuki at Mandarin – brought out the safety car, with the race finishing under yellows.

Behind the leading trio, Red Bull junior Mattia Colnaghi was fourth for PHM Racing, while Honda protege Taito Kato passed ART Grand Prix team-mate Evan Giltaire for fifth.

Mercedes protege Noah Stromsted was seventh for Trident, ahead of newly-minted McLaren junior Matteo de Palo (R-ace), Toyota's Yuki Sano (TOM’S) and Jose Garfias (PHM).

Race results to follow

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