Freddie Slater acknowledged his “risk” to regain the lead in the Macau Grand Prix, but it ended in failure when he crashed during the final moments.
The Formula Regional European champion took the lead in Saturday’s qualifying race, securing the GP start from pole position, but fell behind at the beginning to Mari Boya.
A Prema driver took the lead just after a safety car restart and managed to get three seconds ahead of the others before another caution period reset the race.
Boya tackled him as they approached Lisboa on the restart, and it was while pursuing Boya and attempting to make up ground in the first sector that Slater went wide exiting the final R Bend corner and crashed into the barriers.
“It’s Macau, ultimately it’s a gamble, and you saw on the final lap how the driver in third place managed to win the race due to a little bit of luck, a slight draft, and everything worked out,” Slater said.
We were aware we were in sector one, so I was putting in a lot of effort in that area to compensate and stay in the competition, giving myself a chance to get back to the lead.
It turned out to be a minor crash, and then you end up in the dirt, with the track being so muddy, I was in the dirt, and that was all.
Although the end of his Macau weekend was disappointing, following his crash last year while competing for a podium position, Slater was still pleased with his speed during the event.
We left yesterday and we continued driving today,” he said. “I would have loved to have won the race, don’t get me wrong, but the speed we’ve maintained all weekend has been incredible, and it’s been a great weekend with the team, which has been enjoyable.
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The head of Prema Racing, Rene Rosin, characterized the race as showcasing “the good and the bad of Macau.”
He mentioned that his driver performed “exceptionally well,” but in the end, faced consequences due to the demanding characteristics of the Guia circuit.
He took the initiative, doing everything required,” Rosin said. “He attempted to remain in the slipstream of Boya, and I believe he could have waited a little longer, but that’s Macau—everything is on the line, and we will aim to be quicker and more strategic next year.
I can’t say anything negative about him, it’s just Macau.
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