Macau GP: Hong Kong’s Darryl O’Young to race for the first time in 12 months when he returns at GT Cup
Veteran driver last raced in 2020 Macau GT Cup when he finished fourth after being penalised in qualification race, which he won
Only six races will take place in annual Grand Prix week on Nov 19-21 with drivers coming from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau only due to quarantine
Hong Kong driver Darryl O’Young faces one of the biggest challenges of his career, racing for the first time in 12 months, as he returns to the annual Macau Grand Prix, which takes place in two weeks.
It will be the veteran’s 17th appearance in the campaign, which he has won five times in different racing categories, but it will also be his first race since he last competed at the demanding 6.2-kilometre Guia circuit in 2020 when he finished fourth in the Macau GT race.
“I used to competed in more than 20 races a year including the GT World Challenge Asia, but this did not happen under the Covid-19 pandemic, as the event has been called off for the last two years,” said the 41-year-old, who has arrived in the former Portuguese enclave but is now undergoing quarantine before he emerges from the three-week isolation period. “The long absence from racing will, of course, affect my performance. Many things, such as muscle memory, will be affected and I must work hard and use more of my experience to cope with the situation.
“On top of this, I’ll be coming straight out of a 21-day quarantine, so the proper training will not be possible. I will have to use all my mental strength to overcome these trials, but I am confident I can do it and fight up front for this year’s race.”
