TCR Australia champion Josh Buchan has said he’s astonished by the Macau circuit as the HMO Customer Racing Hyundai driver makes his Guia circuit debut this weekend.
The Inje Speedium race winner is back behind the wheel of the team’s Elantra after missing the last round in China, and in the final practice he was 11th quickest, the fastest of the Macau rookies. The 30-year-old expressed his amazement at the track which hosts the 72nd Macau Grand Prix this weekend.
“I don’t often struggle for words, but here I have nothing,” said Buchan. “It’s the craziest place I’ve ever been to. It’s nothing like anywhere else and that’s what makes it amazing. When I was speaking to Thed Björk earlier, I said everywhere I go I arrogantly enough have considered myself equal to those guys, but here these guys are heroes. It’s amazing what they do, here I have even more respect for my competitors, it’s quite humbling really.”
Setting his expectations for the weekend, Buchan added: “I think just based off what I was doing, if I can be in the back half of the regular runners in that P6 to P10 region, and be quickest of the newbies that’s probably my goal. I’m under no illusions, I’m not going to be as fast as the guys who have been here multiple times, but I think I’ve proven my point this year with some proud performances, so I’m just here to enjoy it.”
Picture: WSC/Jun Qian Motorsport
