The 70th edition of the Macau Grand Prix – FIA Formula 3 World Cup was a rollercoaster of emotions for SJM Theodore PREMA Racing, as the team lined up for the Final Race with promising starting positions. The famous event delivered once again a sensational show at the Guia Circuit, with fast-paced action and multiple contacts that resulted in several safety-car situations and a lengthy red flag.

Gabriele Minì was the team’s top finisher, cruising to the podium at the end of an incredibly hard-fought battle among the top 3. The 18-year-old Italian put up a valiant effort and ended up third, rewarding the team for its effort and laying great promise for the upcoming season.

Unfortunately, both Dino Beganovic and Paul Aron could not finish the race. The Swede went straight into the barriers at the Lisboa corner on lap 3 while fighting for the podium, while the Estonian was involved in a high-speed crash on lap 8 after clipping a barrier earlier. Fortunately, Aron climbed out of the car on his own power, and both drivers soon returned to the pits uninjured.

With a positive podium finish achieved in one of the world’s world’s most coveted and exciting events, and the historic Grand Prix finally coming back to its full international glory, SJM Theodore PREMA Racing is already setting sights on its future endeavors.

Teddy Yip – Team Principal
“We have mixed feelings for sure, but it was amazing to be part of such a stellar event and finish third with Gabriele. We were also delighted to see Dino and Paul come back uninjured after two high-speed crashes. Our racers really gave everything they had, and we cannot wait to come back for more. We want to thank everyone who made the 70th edition of Grand Prix so special.”

8 – Dino Beganovic

“It’s obviously not the way we wanted to finish the weekend, ending up in the barriers. We stayed in contention for all weekend, but we still missed something to go at the front. Still, it has been a great experience to come to this fantastic event, and I hope to return again in the future.”

9 – Gabriele Minì

“I didn’t have any expectations, as this race is very hard and everything can happen. I tried to learn the track step by step. We managed to stay in P2 for most of the race today, I tried to move on the inside of Luke and Dennis, but there was just not enough space. Honestly, I’m not fully satisfied with P3, especially after showing really good speed in qualifying, but it’s still a great achievement. I gave my 100 percent, I even touched the wall a couple of times, and it was everything I had.”

10 – Paul Aron

“Obviously this is not how we wanted to finish. We had a very good start and went up to P4. We even managed to go up to P3, but we saw that we were really struggling with straight speed, which made the race really difficult. I had to push like hell to make up that time, which also made the tyres overheat. Then I brushed the wall. I kept going, and I had a rear right failure on the quickest part of the track so I crashed. It was a shame for me and the team. I had done a good build-up for the weekend, we made great steps, but the lack of pace made it very difficult.”

Source | Photo: PREMA Racing