Circuito da Guia, Street Circuit

The Guia Circuit is a legendary street course laid out on the public roads of the Macau Peninsula in southeastern China, close to Hong Kong and Guangzhou. It first staged competition in 1954, when the event began as a motorised treasure hunt devised by local enthusiasts before quickly developing into a full racing meeting. Its layout has remained largely unchanged for more than six decades, with the main alteration coming in 1993 when the pit and paddock complex was relocated onto reclaimed land. The lap runs to roughly 6.1 km around 24 turns and pairs a long, fast seafront straight where Formula 3 cars approach 260 km/h with an intricate, climbing section squeezed between buildings and cliffs. Elevation changes of more than 30 metres and unforgiving barriers make it one of the most demanding circuits in the world. Signature points include the tight Lisboa Bend at the end of the main straight, the steep Guia hill, and the narrow Melco Hairpin, the circuit's slowest and tightest corner. The headline Macau Grand Prix has long been a proving ground for single-seater talent, with its Formula 3 race won over the years by drivers such as Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard. The circuit has hosted Formula 3 since 1983, the FIA GT World Cup and the World Touring Car Cup and Championship, and it is unusual in also running motorcycle racing alongside its car events within the same weekend. A permanent Grand Prix Building with an underground garage anchors the start-finish area. The combination of history, speed and danger has made Macau one of the most prestigious street races in motorsport.