ROWE RACING plans golden end to the season at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau
St. Ingbert, 24thOctober 2023 – With proven Macau specialist Augusto Farfus and a BMW M4 GT3 sporting a special livery, ROWE RACING is looking to bring the season to a golden end at the FIA GT World Cup, which takes place in the former Portuguese colony of Macau from 17th to 19th November. Like the International Automobile Federation FIA, the team from St. Ingbert is returning to the spectacular street circuit in the gamblers’ paradise on the South China coast for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic caused a three‑year break. Back in 2019, ROWE RACING narrowly missed out on World Cup triumph, finishing second and third with Laurens Vanthoor and Earl Bamber in two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs.
This year, the team can count on the experience and special Macau skills of Augusto Farfus. The Brazilian won the FIA GT World Cup in a BMW M6 GT3 in 2018, having at the Circuito da Guia, as it is known in Portuguese, previously tasted victory on two occasions in the World Touring Car Championship – 2005 with Alfa Romeo and 2009 in a BMW 320i. “Gustl” also has a fifth and two fourth‑places to his name in Macau, and finished just behind the two ROWE RACING Porsches in 2019.
“It is fantastic to finally be returning to Macau this year, for the first time since the pandemic. This will be the first outing at the Guia Circuit for the BMW M4 GT3, but the car has shown over the past two years that it has what it takes to win on any kind of track. ROWE RACING and BMW M Team WRT are among the best GT teams in the world and both have a wealth of experience in Macau. That is obviously also especially true of Augusto Farfus as a driver. I am sure he will once again show his class there,” said Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport.
The team from St. Ingbert has come up with another special highlight for the BMW M4 GT3’s debut in Macau. All the yellow areas on the usual ROWE RACING livery have been replaced by shiny gold. The hope is that this, and the number 11, will bring them luck. The car, together with a large selection of spare parts, is already on its way to the Chinese south coast by ship and will finally arrive back in St. Ingbert only in January.
Success at the FIA GT World Cup would be the perfect end to what has so far been a fantastic season for ROWE RACING, with the third victory at the 24 Hours of Spa, second place in the 24h Nürburgring and the one‑two in the opening race of the GT World Challenge Europe at Monza.
Hans-Peter Naundorf, Team Principal ROWE RACING: “Battling it out at the FIA GT World Cup again for the first time in three years will be a fantastic way to end this extraordinary season. This race through the concrete canyons of Macau is unique in motorsport, and we have adapted the livery of our BMW M4 GT3, with the addition of the new golden areas, specially to suit the atmosphere and spirit of the gamblers’ paradise. Our goal is relatively simple: to go one better than in our last, breathtaking race at the Guia Circuit. I am confident that we can achieve this goal with Augusto Farfus in the cockpit, as there are very few drivers who have more experience in Macau, and who have been as successful, reliable and had as much pleasure driving there as Augusto. It is a great honour for us to end the season with him in Macau.”
Augusto Farfus (#11 ROWE RACING BMW M4 GT3): “Macau is a magical place, and a very emotive one for me personally. The event is definitely one of the highlights of the season and I feel honoured to be able to represent BMW M Motorsport there again. I have enjoyed a lot of success there in the past, particularly my victory in 2018. I am confident that we will have a very strong package there with my friends at ROWE RACING and the BMW M4 GT3.”
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