Tomorrow the Macau Grand Prix gets underway in China, where Honda Racing’s John McGuinness and Conor Cummins will take part aboard their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines, in what will be the pair’s final outing with the Honda team for 2015 as the road racing season comes to an end.

Macau will be the first time McGuinness has raced his TT-winning Fireblade on the road since taking his 23rd Isle of Man TT win in this year’s Senior TT race and breaking the outright lap record. The Morecambe Missile hasn’t taken part in the Macau GP since 2013 and will be looking to repeat his success in 2001 when he took the race win. 

Teammate Cummins has enjoyed a successful second season with the Honda team, claiming two podiums at the Ulster GP. The Manxman has had a good record at the legendary Chinese road race, previously finishing second in 2009 and seventh in 2012.

The Macau Grand Prix is an annual event and is known for being the only street circuit racing event where both cars and motorcycles race in the same weekend. The event first started in 1954 as a treasure hunt around the streets of the city and became a professional racing event in 1966. In 1967 motorcycles were introduced and the event now sees most of the big-named road racing teams taking part each year.

Suncity Group Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 49th Edition schedule:

Thursday 19 November (GMT+8):

0730 – 0830 – Practice
1545 – 1630 – Qualifying 1


Friday 20 November (GMT+8):

0730 – 0815 – Qualifying 2


Saturday 21 November (GMT+8):

1125 – 1145 – Warm up
1505 – 1605 – Race (12 laps) 


Neil Tuxworth – team manager:

The Macau Grand Prix is an additional race to our 2015 programme, and is an event that both John and Conor enjoy taking part in and that gives the team the opportunity to try some new parts on the CBR ahead of the NW200 and TT races next year. There is no pressure on either rider to achieve a result in the race, as it is not part of our racing programme; the main thing is that the parts are tested and both riders have an enjoyable race.

John McGuinness:

It’s great to be heading back to Macau; I haven’t raced there since 2013 and can’t wait now until practice. I haven’t ridden the CBR on the roads since I took the Senior win at this year’s TT; I took part in the Stars of Darley a few months ago with Honda Racing, but this will be the first real road race since and I can’t wait to get started. The Macau GP is such an extraordinary place with great racing and to be going with Honda and my crew is perfect as we all know how each other work – it’s a great package.

Conor Cummins:

I’m really excited to be racing again at Macau; I haven’t been there since 2012 where I finished seventh, so I am looking forward to getting out there on the Fireblade and seeing what we can do! It’ll be my first time there on the Honda and it’s been a long time since I last rode it at the Ulster GP, so I can’t wait to get going on Thursday for the first practice. It’s such a great race and the atmosphere there is like nothing else.