By IANS,
Chennai : Aditya Patel, the 19-year old from Chennai, will be the lone Indian in fray at the famed and notorious Guia street circuit in Macau where Formula BMW Pacific makes its debut at the weekend and will be run concurrently with the season-ending Formula 3 race.
For Patel, currently placed ninth overall and fourth in the Rookie class of the Formula BMW series, it will be a steep learning curve on a circuit that has tested the best of racing drivers.
Of more significance is the fact that Macau Grand Prix is often considered as a stepping stone for young drivers hoping to progress to elite Formula One racing as the event usually attracts talent scouts.
The Formula BMW Pacific drivers will have a valuable opportunity to race on the unforgiving track in front of the world’s leading Formula 3 teams in the final round of the 2008 season.
The Macau Grand Prix is primarily an invitational race for the top Formula 3 drivers who will be vying for the prestigious Intercontinental Cup. With the BMW Pacific race to be run a day before the Grand Prix, the event provides excellent exposure to those participating in a series that is one rung below Formula 3.
Patel, in his debut BMW Pacific season, has had an up-and-down outing as he had to overcome a poor start due to his own inexperience as also an ill-handling machine.
Patel said he would be in touch with his mentor Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first F1 driver, for tips on the Guia circuit. Besides Karthikeyan, the other Indian to race in Macau was Karun Chandhok.