The head of Pinnacle Motorsport, John O’Hara, stated that his team’s victory at the Macau Grand Prix was “not unexpected” for him, with Theo Nael and Mari Boya achieving a 1-2 result for the Irish team.
Pinnacle made its second appearance in Macau, receiving the opportunity to enter the race after the event transitioned from FIA Formula 3 to Formula Regional equipment last year, due to its achievements in the Formula Regional Middle East championship.
Having secured third place last year alongside Noel Leon, the KCMG-backed team claimed the top two spots this time, following an exciting conclusion where Nael moved from third to first by overtaking Boya and Enzo Deligny of R-ace GP with a double pass.
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Although the team doesn’t have the same profile as other teams on the Macau grid, such as Prema, ART Grand Prix, and Trident, which compete higher in the junior single-seater hierarchy, O’Hara stated he was always confident that success in Macau was within the team’s reach.
It’s the most significant race of the season for us, so we invested considerable effort this weekend, regarding car setup, promotion, drivers, and finalizing all agreements ahead of time,” O’Hara said. “However, I never had any concerns that if we gave our best performance, this outcome was inevitable.
People might not be aware of us since we aren’t in the spotlight in Europe, but we have been fiercely competing against many of these teams for the past seven or eight years in the Middle East, so it’s not surprising to me.
When asked if a win in Macau might prompt Pinnacle to consider racing in Europe, O’Hara responded: “We are willing to compete in Europe, but all the necessary factors must be in place. We don’t want to participate just to fill the roster. If we take part in something, it’s to be as competitive as possible. For 2026, that won’t be the case, but we aren’t excluding anything for the future.”
Boyana struggled during the initial phase of the race against Prema driver Freddie Slater for the lead, taking the advantage at the start, but then relinquishing it following the first safety car restart at Lisboa.
The second safety car provided Boya with another opportunity to challenge Slater, which he took by making a courageous outside maneuver at Lisboa, following which Slater crashed at R Bend, leading to the final caution that shifted the race in Nael’s favor.
I noticed on the first restart that the slipstream was extremely strong,” said the Aston Martin junior. “I thought I did a great job, but [Slater] just passed me very easily.
Once I realized I couldn’t remain with him, I focused on preserving my tires and planned the restarts to seize my chance. I was fortunate with the [second] safety car.
He was extremely quick through the final two corners, but the draft was so strong that I managed to get close and take a big risk while braking. I knew it was my opportunity to overtake Freddie.
He made an error in the final corner, and I believed it was my race since I had a lead. However, the safety car came out, making it a one-lap race, goodbye! I tried my best in the last two corners, but the slipstream was too strong. Theo did an incredible job, congratulations to him.
Boya later said: “They altered the [tyre] compound, making it simpler to prepare the tyre and more challenging to defend. There was nothing else I could do, just waiting for another car to pass.”
This is Macau. I’m feeling a little sad right now, but as a driver, it’s still the most amazing experience you can have.
Frenchman Nael began the qualifying race from pole position, but fell to third place due to a weak start in a race that had no safety car interventions. He remained in fourth place for most of the main race until he was moved back to third following Slater’s crash.
I did a solid restart,” said Nael about the final stages. “I just shifted into sixth gear and went full speed. I’m not sure why, but they [Boya and Deligny] slowed down a bit too much. I moved to the left, closed the door late, kept an eye on my mirrors with Mari, and it worked.
I am aware that we are competing in Macau, so anything can occur until the checkered flag is shown. I remained calm, but the entire weekend was a rollercoaster.
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O’Hara also acknowledged that Boya was unlucky to miss out on winning under these conditions.
He was leading on the track when the safety car was deployed, which put him at a disadvantage,” he said about Boya. “That’s Macau – you have to deal with both the good and the bad.
Both drivers were worthy of victory. You can mention Freddie Slater, he was extremely quick, but he felt the pressure, ended up hitting the wall. We were close by and made the most of the outcome.
jasdooit 
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