Team Trident will race in the former Portuguese protectorate for the first time in the final appearance of the FIA Formula 3 Championship for 2019. The Macau Grand Prix retained its status of a non-championship event for this season which will allow the drivers to compete without concerns in terms of points and focus only on race results. Team Trident will field a high-quality trio consisting of David Beckmann, Olli Caldwell and Alessio Lorandi.
It is an exciting challenge for the stars of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, when on Sunday, November 17th, the famous Macau Street Circuit will host the Macau Grand Prix. This has been a unique event for years and is closely followed by the world of motorsport as it takes place on a track that, while new in its conformation, is extremely challenging and leaves no room for the slightest mistake given the absence of escape areas. The Guia Circuit, which takes its name from the hill that overlooks the Asian city, measures 6,200 meters and features the fast Port complex, marked by long straights, and a slower and more technical sector, a typical street course which runs through the upper part of Macau.
The extreme difference between the two segments forces the teams to accept compromises in terms of set-up, with drivers who often make the difference in the city part while struggling with little downforce to avoid sacrificing speed on the fastest segment. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Macau Grand Prix is closely followed by the experts and Team Principals of the higher categories because it allows a genuine assessment of the adaptiveness and natural qualities of the drivers.
Team Trident will line-up at Macau with an unprecedented trio of drivers, well sorted and complementary in their characteristics. Making a highly anticipated return with the Milan-based team will be David Beckmann, who already raced and proved highly impressive on a Team Trident car in the GP3 Series. The German took the team to victory three times and is again expected to perform in-line with his brilliant past. The 19-year-old from Iserlohn already took part in the Asian event in 2016.
Alongside the returning Beckmann, Team Trident will welcome British racer Olli Caldwell, who impressed during the test carried out by Formula 3 at Valencia and will be making his series debut. Caldwell comes from a convincing season in the European Formula Regional Championship. Macau will also feature the return of 21-year-old Alessio Lorandi. The Italian competed for Team Trident in the early stages of the 2017 GP3 Series before being promoted to the FIA Formula 2 Championship. Lorandi will return to the Team Trident family, which will give its 100 per cent to allow the driver, who is coming from a season-long break, to be ready for the challenging Macau races. For Lorandi this will be the second experience on the Far Eastern track after securing a seventh place in 2015.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager
“We are extremely motivated ahead of the trip to Macau, which will be an exceptional season finale for Formula 3 and will take place on a track that is as fascinating as it is unforgiving. In this race, you will not need to make calculations in terms of a ranking but simply give the maximum. Team Trident's goal is to increase the confidence with the track session by session, avoiding any mistake, and be at the front when the Grand Prix will start on Sunday. We have a very well-sorted and solid line-up, and I am convinced that Alessio, David and Olli will do very well."
The action will start with free practice session scheduled at 10:05. Qualifying 1 will go underway later the same day at 14:30. The second free practice will start at 11:30 on Friday, while the final qualifying session is scheduled for 15:10. The qualifying race will start on Saturday Morning at 9:00, while the Macau Grand Prix will take place on Sunday at 15:30 on a 15-lap distance. All times are local, seven hours ahead compared to the Central European Time.
