Laurin Heinrich took a fantastic third-place finish at the 72nd Macau Grand Prix, battling hard to complete the podium in a dramatic FIA GT World Cup.
Driving for Schumacher CLRT, the former Porsche Junior lined up eighth at the Guia Circuit on Sunday.
Despite a frantic start, he was able to avoid trouble and fought hard throughout the 16-lap race to finish third.
His was one of five Porsche 911 GT3 R which tackled the notoriously tricky street race.
Speaking after the race, Heinrich said: “I’m delighted to secure a podium on just my second visit to Macau!
“We struggled a bit at the beginning of the weekend, but we improved as the event progressed, which is a huge credit to the amazing Schumacher CLRT crew. Today we got a great start as Ayhancan and I worked well together heading into Turn 3.
“Unfortunately, I got hit from behind and there was nothing I could do to avoid contact. After this we settled into a good rhythm, showing strong performance to bring home a trophy.
“Thanks to the team and Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific for making this possible and I hope to return in 2026.”
Practice and Qualifying
Earlier in the weekend, Tempo by Absolute Racing duo Laurens Vanthoor and Alessio Picariello topped Free Practice 1 and 2 respectively.
It was Picariello who was quickest in qualifying, earning third in a competitive field, while Ayhancan Güven showed strong pace on his Macau debut to claim sixth ahead of team-mate Heinrich.
Vanthoor was unfortunate to miss out on Qualifying 2 in 11th, while current Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver Dorian Boccolacci originally progressed to the top-10 shoot-out, but a lap deletion for overpower meant he would line up 14th for Phantom Global Racing.
Qualification Race
The Porsche drivers were looking to move forwards during Saturday’s 12-lap Qualification Race, which would form the grid for the main event.
A solid start for Picariello saw him threaten the driver in front for second, but the nature of the track meant he also had to keep an eye on those behind, remaining third until the chequered flag.
Güven continued to impress by holding position, although teammate Heinrich would lose a place, taking eighth.
On his first appearance at Macau in GT machinery, Boccolacci put in a superb performance, making up five places on the narrow Guia Circuit to clinch ninth, while Vanthoor maintained his position in 11th.
FIA GT World Cup
It was a difficult start to Sunday’s race for several drivers, with Picariello was unfortunate to be spun at the first turn after going side-by-side with a rival, ending his promising weekend.
Güven and Boccolacci were then involved in an incident later in Lap 1 at Lisboa, also ending their races.
Amid the chaos, Heinrich found himself in third after a brilliant launch off the line. He then spent the remaining 15 laps directly behind a rival in the battle for second.
Despite keeping well in the fight, Heinrich was unable to manufacture a clear overtaking opportunity, eventually securing an excellent third at the chequered flag for a well-deserved podium.
Meanwhile, Vanthoor also kept out of trouble, working his way up to ninth.
