F3 title rivals Schumacher and Ticktum head Macau GP entry list

2018 Formula 3 European title rivals Mick Schumacher and Dan Ticktum head a strong entry for next month’s Macau Grand Prix.

Schumacher beat last year’s Macau GP winner Ticktum to the 2018 Formula 3 European Championship crown, with both drivers returning to contest the event once more with their respective regular F3 teams Prema and Motopark.

Ferrari protégé and GP3 frontrunner Callum Ilott and DTM rookie Joel Eriksson, who shared the front-row in the 2017 Macau GP, will also return to take part in the prestigious F3 race around the Guia Circuit.

Ilott will spearhead Carlin’s four-car entry that also features Force India Formula 1 junior Jehan Daruvala and Renault-backed Sacha Fenestraz, both winners in European F3 with the team this season.

Eriksson, who was runner-up to Lando Norris in the 2017 European F3 standings, joins Ticktum, Juri Vips, Ferdinand Habsburg and Marino Sato in Motopark’s five-strong line-up.

Five drivers will also represent the Theodore Racing-backed Prema Powerteam, with Schumacher joined by his fellow 2018 European F3 teammates including rookie champion Robert Shwartzman, Marcus Armstrong, Ralf Aron and Guan Yu Zhou.

European F3 rookie Enaam Ahmed, a two-time race winner in 2018, will make his Macau debut with Hitech GP, which will also field GP3 driver and F3 Asia points leader Jake Hughes and Charles Leong in its three-car line-up.

Van Amersfoort will also run three cars for Sophia Floersch, Keyvan Anders and Frederik Vesti, while other notable entries include Japanese F3 champion Sho Tsuboi and runner-up Ritomo Miyata, who will form TOM’s two-car line-up.

In total 27 cars are expected to take part in the November 14-18 event, an increase on the 22-car field from last year.