Past, present and future

MACAU, China – There are few places on earth that typify the motto of living life in the fast lane the way Macau does. And for the exact equivalent of an entire day, we actually lived it up. As I write this, I am is still in Macau, fresh from gathering information from the Macau Grand Prix Museum, not 24 hours removed from the actual Grand Prix which was held in the afternoon of November 21, 2010. It is 11am of the 22nd of November. I flew in at 3pm yesterday and rushed from the airport to the grandstand, just in time to catch the last and most important race of the Macau Grand Prix weekend, the Formula 3 race.

The crazy idea to live like there was no tomorrow the way Macau does was made possible by Castrol Philippines and Asian Carmakers Corporation, importers of BMW vehicles in the Philippines. These two companies are perhaps the most staunch supporters of Team Eurasia, which is run by local motorsports icon Mark Goddard. Team Eurasia participated in the Formula BMW race, a support race in Macau, and a very importance series to those looking at what the future might bring.

“Macau’s importance cannot be stressed enough. It is where Formula One scouts go to see who could be the next big thing in racing,” explained Goddard over a particularly spicy dinner at the famed Venetian. Indeed. Local motorspots fans know Macau as the venue of the pinnacle of Philippine motorsports. It is here where the late, great Arsenio “Dodjie” Laurel made a mark for the country as the first back-to-back winner of what is acknowledged as one of the most demanding street courses in the world. It is here where a young Ayrton Senna won the first Formula 3 race. It is also here where Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen began the first of their many controversial battles. It is where where current world champion Sebastian Vettel first made his mark in the eyes of Formula One scouts. Granted, those highlights can be spread out through almost five decades, but the message is clear. As we had argued earlier, Macau’s importance in the world of motorsports cannot be stressed enough.

Which is exactly why we made the trip here, as well. “Just like in 2005 when current Formula One drivers Lucas de Grassi, Robert Kubica and Sebastial Vettel took the podium in Macau, the drivers who made an impression this year will likely be driving in Formula One in five years,” shares Goddard. A glimpse at the future, here and now, with a smattering of history lessons over the course of 24 frantic hours is something you don’t get to experience everyday. The fact that all this is being made possible in such an iconic venue as Macau is extra sweet. Sure, it’s a dizzying pace, to say the least. But that’s motorsports for you.

We may not have raced in one of the world’s most demanding street circuits, but we did participate in its GP as a member of the media – at a ludicrous pace! Yeah. We get the picture, and we’re putting it in print for you to understand as well. Before this article gets printed, I will have approved it along with the rest of the articles in this section for your reading pleasure – while already in my office desk from the Philippine STAR office in Manila. Fast paced, you say? In reality, that’s how the past, the present and the future roll by – at a pace that only a place like Macau can replicate.