The National Times - Senna, Schumacher... Beganovic? Macau GP showcases future F1 stars

No fewer than 15 of the current 20 drivers in Formula One earned their racing stripes on the testing Guia Street Circuit that twists through Macau's modern skyline and colonial architecture.

Every year thousands of Asia's petrol heads flock to the casino resort city hoping to get a glimpse of a future superstar.

This year is no different, with five young drivers attached to Formula One teams taking part and showcasing their talent around the testing street layout.

Ferrari's Dino Beganovic is one being tipped as the next to make the leap to the top level.

Part of the Ferrari Driver Academy for five years, the Swede will start Sunday's Formula Regional (FR) showpiece race down in 11th on the grid after poor weather badly interrupted practice and qualifying, causing the event's motorcycle grand prix to be cancelled.

"It is definitely frustrating," the 20-year-old Beganovic told AFP in his Theodore Prema team garage after Saturday's qualification race, which finished under a safety car as rain soaked the track.

There were a record seven red flags in Friday's first qualifying session as the sodden circuit resembled an ice rink and Beganovic, who had been quickest of the 27 drivers on his opening lap, was powerless to avoid crashed cars strewn across the track.

"I got caught up in someone else's mess. Coming here I was probably the favourite as well," he lamented.

"I'm coming here not only to win, but also because I so much enjoyed it last year and I wanted to experience it again before moving up the ladder on my goal to Formula One."

- Ferrari test -

Seasoned observers in the Macau paddock think the confident and extremely quick young Swede has what it takes to reach the summit.

"I believe highly in Dino Beganovic," said the driver's press officer, Mattias Persson, a motorsport aficionado who has been coming to Macau for more than a decade and seen the likes of Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc tackle this unique race.

"Hopefully, he can be our next Swedish Formula 1 driver."

Beganovic will move up to the Formula 2 championship after Macau for the last two 2024 rounds raced alongside the grand prix weekends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi next month.

He has already had a taste of the "crazy" F1 simulator at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy.

"I'm impressed every time I jump in that simulator. It's crazy," Beganovic said.

"They are relying on it so much that they're able to use it during race weekends and that shows how important that work is and also how realistic the sim can be

"So it's been great to have the opportunity to do that."

McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu took pole for Sunday's FR grand prix aged just 17.

Alongside him on the front row will be Danish-German Red Bull junior Oliver Goethe.

"It would mean everything to me to win this race," said the young American Ugochukwu.

"It's such a special event, historically there's been so many amazing drivers that have been here, that have won here."

The other F1 team-attached drivers on this year's Macau GP grid are Finland's Tuukka Taponen, also with Ferrari, and McLaren's young Irish star Alex Dunne.

"Doing well in Macau really puts you on the map," said Dunne.

"It's a prestigious race, when all the fans are here it feels almost like an F1 weekend."

Verstappen was already signed to Red Bull when he came to Macau a decade ago and following in his tyre tracks is Goethe, a 20-year-old German who has been quick all week.

- On the limit -

"The race really means a lot to me. It's such a special, challenging track," said Goethe after qualifying second fastest.

The 18-year-old Taponen hit the wall to end his qualifying race and will start down in 20th.

"It's another level of track here," admitted the Finn.

An ability to avoid the yellow and black barriers that line the entire 6.2km (3.85 mile) circuit while on the limit is what the top teams look for in the young speed demons of Macau.

"If they're quick round here, they're going to be pretty quick round anywhere. It's a real mark of talent," said Tim Huxley, a Hong Kong-based businessman and former racing team owner who has been coming to the Macau Grand Prix for decades.

"This is the race that a lot of Formula One team principals pay a lot of attention to. It really does show good potential."

G.Waters--TNT