A visit to Macau Grand Prix Museum

By Mike Sy
INQUIRER.net

LAST weekend, I took a trip to Macau with my family and, on a rainy Sunday, when I was supposed to travel with them by ferry to Hong Kong, I was prevented from leaving by Macau immigration because I could not show them my stamped departure card (unfortunately, my wife misplaced it) and also forgot to bring my valid passport (my wife accidentally brought an expired one and left the valid one at our hotel). After telling them to go ahead without me (yipee!), I checked my city map to see how to get to the Macau Grand Prix Museum. I was happy to find that it was just a short five-minute walk from my hotel.

The museum, which opened in 1993 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix, is an avid racing fan’s dream with various car and motorcycle displays, pictures and other memorabilia. There is also an F1 simulator to test your skills in a Formula 1 car.

The grand prix itself was a stepping stone for many racing drivers, and it was amazing to see how many of the famous names from Formula 1 and MotoGP began their fledgling careers by competing in the Macau Grand Prix. The list included Michael and Ralf Schumacher, Takuma Sato, David Coulthard, Mikka Hakkinen, Ayrton Senna and Jenson Button to name a few. From MotoGP, I saw the name of former world champion Kevin Schwantz.

On prominent display in the museum, and one that I had to see, was the car of Arsenio “Dodgie” Laurel, a Filipino, and the first driver to win the Macau Grand Prix in succession. I was proud to see his car (a Lotus F22 Ford FJ) on display with the Philippine flag on its side.

Before leaving the museum, I had to try the F1 simulator and see what it feels like to be in a cramped race car. After fitting my chubby frame into the tight confines of the tub, I raced a 2002 F1 McLaren racecar in the simulated Mugello circuit and achieved a best lap time of 1 m 58.932 s.

Overall, the Macau Grand Prix Museum is very interesting and a must-see for race fans, both young and old.

After purchasing a Macau Grand Prix souvenir cap from the museum store, I smiled as I left the museum thinking to myself how different things would have been for me if I had left for a trip to Hong Kong on a ferry boat.

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