第71屆澳門大賽於11/14-17在東望洋賽道激烈開賽，Team KRC在本場作為BMW M賽車運動部參賽車隊之一，出戰國際汽聯GT世界盃，與BMW M官方車手法夫斯（Augusto Farfus）並肩作戰，並在周日正賽勇奪亞軍，取得了本澳車隊最佳戰績。
在本賽事周的天氣由於受到颱風影響，於週四官方練習開始變得陰晴不定，這對於車隊對賽車調校功力與車手駕駛技術有著相當大的考驗；週五排位賽時賽道不時出現紅旗，以至於法夫斯在最後一刻無法做出最快單圈錯失了奪得竿位的機會，以排位第五進入到週六的資格賽；到了週六資格賽法夫斯也順利守住第五位置完賽。
周日再度下起了大雨，也使得雨天的正賽充滿變數，法夫斯起步順利保持第五位置，而在比賽尾聲，Marciello和 Fuoco兩位車手展開激烈纏鬥發生碰撞，兩輛賽車遺憾沖出逃生通道。經驗豐富的Farfus穩紮穩打，最終取得全場第二的成績榮登頒獎台，也為本周的澳門大賽畫下了完美的句點。KRC總監康家源表示：在服務過幾屆澳門GT大賽後，今年我們終於以自己Team KRC的名字代表澳門出賽FIA GT世界盃，最終幸運的由Farfus取得亞軍的優異成績；另外Team KRC的吉祥物馬庫斯MAKUS也在澳門正式亮相大受好評！感謝大家對於Team KRC的支持，希望我們來年以更好的面貌亮相澳門！
本次KRC官方形象MAKUS首次亮相澳門，在賽場內外都感受到了大家的喜愛，後續MAKUS將會推出系列商品；而在澳門大賽結束之後KRC車隊也即將開始進行冬季測試，為明年的賽事做好準備，也請大家多多支持KRC車隊！
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Team KRC and Augusto Farfus Claimed Runner-Up Position
in FIA GT World Cup 2024
Team KRC showcased formidable competitiveness in FIA GT World Cup 2024, with official BMW M Works Driver Augusto Farfus clinching second place in a race filled with incidents and excitement, gaining the team the spot on the podium in the 71st Macau Grand Prix.
This year’s event was significantly affected by Typhoon“Toraji”with the entire weekend’s races conducted on wet surface, posing a severe test of rain driving skills for all competitors. The first free practice session began on Thursday at 11:05 AM, officially kicking off the team’s journey in Macau. Over two practice sessions, Farfus accumulated over 20 laps in No. 89 BMW M4 GT3. In the second session, he achieved a personal best lap time of 2:22.419, securing fifth place and laying a solid foundation for the subsequent races.
During Friday’s qualifying, Farfus engaged in a fierce battle with top drivers, striving for the best starting position. On his second flying lap, he improved his time across three sectors and recorded a lap of 2:16.814, moving up to fifth place. Farfus pushed hard and made significant time gains in his second sprint. However, a yellow flag in the middle of the track interrupted his momentum, and a serious incident at the Mandarin corner prematurely ended qualifying, leaving Team KRC’s No. 89 car missed a potential front-row start.
The No. 89 car started from fifth position in the Saturday Qualification Race, with the finishing order determining the starting grid for main race on Sunday. Farfus was initially blocked by cars ahead at the start, losing a position but remained composed, regaining fifth place at the Mandarin corner. Over the 12 laps in total, the Brazilian veteran maintained a solid race pace and finished P5 overall.
Sunday’s main event was again affected by rain and began under the safety car. Once the green flag waved, Farfus launched into Turn 1 with full speed. Due to excessive water on the track, visibility was severely affected by the spray from the cars ahead, prompting Farfus to maintain a safe distance early in the race to ensure clear sightlines while waiting for an opportunity to attack.
The 2018 FIA GT World Cup champion found his rhythm as the race progressed, setting a personal best lap of 2:34.087 and gaining a position due to a battle between cars ahead, moving up to fourth. In the final phases, a collision among the front runners provided a crucial opportunity, allowing Farfus to elevate to second place, which he maintained until the checkered flag.
Farfus crossed the line second in the Team KRC No. 89 BMW M4 GT3, earning the FIA GT World Cup runner-up trophy for 2024 and marking his second consecutive podium appearance at the Macau Grand Prix!
Quotes
Augusto Farfus: Macau is always a surprise package. I drove for a new team, a team from Macau, which makes me very proud. BMW M Motorsport has supported us as a small team very well, which is great. We worked closely together, and now I’m back on the podium. This weekend was probably the toughest I’ve had in Macau, with all kinds of weather conditions and situations. The weather played a big role this time. A dry race would certainly have produced a different result but I am very satisfied with what I have achieved.
Mars Kang (Team Principal): After participating in several editions of Macau Grand Prix as the technical service provider, this year we finally represented Macau under our own Team KRC name at the FIA GT World Cup, and we were fortunate to achieve an excellent second place thanks to Augusto. Additionally, our Team KRC mascot, Makus, made his official debut in Macau and received great praise! Thanks to all the support for Team KRC and we look forward to returning to Macau next year in even better form!
