The 72nd Macau Grand Prix delivered a weekend for the history books for KCMG ENYA by Pinnacle Motorsport, as the team secured a commanding 1–2 finish in the FIA Formula Regional World Cup. On one of the world’s most prestigious and unforgiving street circuits, Frenchman Théophile Naël and Spaniard Mari Boya demonstrated front-running pace from the very first sessions and ultimately converted their speed into one of the team’s most significant results to date.
Facing a strong 27-car field, both drivers were consistently inside the Top 4 during Thursday’s Free Practice sessions, with Boya edging out his teammate on outright pace. But when it came to Qualifying, Théophile Naël turned things around with a standout performance that earned him pole position for the Qualifying Race on Saturday. Boya, meanwhile, was hampered by traffic on his final run and had to settle for P6 on the grid.
However, Naël’s pole advantage was short-lived. A strong launch from Freddie Slater allowed him to take the lead into Lisboa on the opening lap. Boya made early progress to climb to P3 as Naël slipped to P4. Boya then overtook Evan Giltaire to move into P2, with Naël executing a similar pass a lap later to slot into P3. With overtaking opportunities limited around the 6.120 km Guia Circuit, both drivers held station in an uninterrupted 10-lap contest, claiming a well-earned double podium for KCMG ENYA by Pinnacle Motorsport.
Sunday’s Main Race proved even more dramatic. From the front row, Boya immediately seized the lead from Slater on the run to Turn 1. Naël was delayed in the pack behind and lost several positions as the field compressed, before a multi-car incident further back triggered an early Safety Car.
On the lap 4 restart, Slater managed to retake the lead from Boya and began to pull away at the front. Boya was unable to close the gap until another Safety Car on lap 9 bunched up the field once more. This time, with positions reversed, Boya used the restart to his advantage and passed Slater to reclaim the race lead. Under pressure, Slater ran wide and struck the wall at the final corner, ending his race and prompting another Safety Car period.
Racing resumed with three laps remaining, with Boya leading, Enzo Deligny of R-ace GP in P2, and Naël now up to P3. Heading into Lisboa, Boya defended against Deligny, but Naël seized the opportunity to sweep around the outside of both drivers and take the lead in a decisive move. Moments later, an incident deeper in the field brought out another Safety Car, under which the race ultimately finished — securing a dominant 1–2 victory for KCMG ENYA by Pinnacle Motorsport, with Naël taking the win and Boya completing the formation finish.
John O’Hara, Pinnacle Motorsport Team Director: “To finish 1–2 in Macau means a great deal to the whole team. Mari and Theo did a fantastic job all weekend and delivered a result we never even dreamt of. Extremely proud of the effort from everyone involved and a very good way to end the event.”
Theophile Naël: “What an absolutely incredible weekend. We did it — world champions. I still can’t quite believe it. The whole team deserved this win, and Mari as well in second. The car was just flying and the pace was there. A massive thank you to the whole team at Pinnacle Motorsport for your work, your energy, and your trust — none of this would have been possible without you. Macau gave us another wild race, huge emotions, and a moment we’ll never forget.”
Mari Boya: “I’m really happy about the weekend. P2 is a good result. Of course I wanted the win, but I feel we had an incredible week together as a team. In the final race we finished 1st and 2nd, and we can be really proud of that. I gained a lot of experience and learning from this weekend, and for sure it will help me in the future. I really enjoyed my time here in Macau.”
Accompanying KCMG ENYA by Pinnacle Motorsport in the FIA Formula Regional World Cup are KCMG, ENYA, IXO Models, Attachment Warehouse, LOH Motorsport, and Motorsport Ireland.
[Photos courtesy of Dutch Photo Agency]
