Macao, Nov 15 (IANS) Freddie Slater underlined his favourite status by dominating Saturday’s qualifying race for the 2025 Macao Grand Prix, pulling clear from the opening lap and cruising to a comfortable victory. Fresh from winning the Formula Regional European title, the Briton made a clean getaway from second on the grid and swept past polesitter Theophile Nael on the run to Reservoir Bend.

By the end of the opening lap, he had already built a 1.6-second buffer, and the Prema Racing driver steadily widened that advantage to more than five seconds at half distance.

“There’s a fine line here,” Slater said afterwards. “If you push too hard, you risk brushing a wall, but if you back off too much, you lose rhythm, and that’s when mistakes creep in. Macao is unforgiving, so it was about hitting the marks, keeping the rhythm, and ticking off the laps.”

Behind him, Evan Giltaire and Mari Boya also passed Nael at the start, with Boya vaulting from sixth on the grid to run third. Giltaire could not match Slater’s pace and held up the pack, allowing the Briton to break free while the Pinnacle Motorsport pair of Boya and Nael searched for a way past, reports Xinhua.

Boya finally forced his way through on lap five with a slipstream-assisted move into the Lisboa bend, and Nael repeated the overtake one lap later. Both drivers traded fastest sectors with Slater late in the race once clear of Giltaire, though neither could significantly cut into the leader’s margin.

Slater crossed the line 5.171 seconds ahead of Boya, with Nael following in third. Giltaire held on for fourth, followed by ART GP teammate Taito Kato in fifth and Enzo Deligny in sixth.

Despite chaotic qualifying sessions earlier in the weekend, the race ran largely clean. The only major contact came on lap one at the notoriously tight Melco Hairpin, where Oscar Wurz tagged Charles Leong, though Wurz moved his damaged car into the escape road and avoided triggering a safety car.

The results set the grid for Sunday’s main event, where Slater will attempt to add his name to Macao’s storied list of winners that includes Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

“You look at the history here and it’s incredible,” he said. “To be on that list would be a dream. When I was younger, watching Macao was one of the greatest things to see at the end of the year.”

“Honestly, I just love being here, and I want to be back here next year. It’s a great race to be part of, and hopefully we can get the job done tomorrow,” Slater continued.

First held in 1954, the Macao Grand Prix has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious single-seater events and is widely viewed as a key proving ground for young drivers aiming for Formula 1.

The Guia Circuit’s mix of long straights, tight walls, blind entries, and steep elevation changes has earned it a reputation as one of motorsport’s toughest venues.

After decades as a Formula 3 showcase, the race switched to Formula Regional regulations last year, placing it three steps below Formula 1 on the FIA single-seater ladder.

–IANS

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