Macau GP 2026 Without the Favorite: An Italian Can Dream in the Crazy Race Among the Skyscrapers

The Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix loses its defending champion and welcomes back its all-time king. Among the 20 riders invited to the 58th edition, only one has stood on the podium in the past four years: Peter Hickman.

The race will take place on November 21 at the Guia Circuit, a 6.2-kilometre street circuit. As tradition dictates, entry is by invitation only, with coveted places awarded by the organisers—and this year's selection has sprung more than one surprise.

The absences are significant. British rider Davey Todd, winner of the last two editions, in 2024 and 2025, will not be there; he is pictured in the opening photo. Finnish rider Erno Kostamo, who took the chequered flag first in 2022, will also be absent. Both have been forced to withdraw due to injuries.

With two of the last three winners missing, the list of favourites is easier to narrow down—and almost inevitably points to one name.

Peter Hickman arrives in Macau on the Zeeco BMW by 8TEN Racing BMW, with a record that speaks for itself: he has already won this race four times. A year ago, the Briton finished second in his comeback race after missing much of the season with an injury sustained at the Isle of Man TT.

This time, the English rider will be without the rivals who have beaten him in recent years. A fifth win at the Guia Circuit is well within reach, but nothing is certain on Macau's streets until the chequered flag falls. The date is November 21.

Maurizio Bottalico is also on the entry list. After competing in recent editions of the Tourist Trophy and the North West 200, he is now regarded as one of the top road-racing riders. The multiple European and Italian hill-climb speed champion, who also triumphed at the Manx TT, will race a BMW M1000RR entered by the RSV team. Last year, on his Guia Circuit debut, he finished a surprising sixth. This time, a podium finish is a more than realistic target. Joining him are other familiar TT names, including Paul Jordan and Rob Hodson, both of whom will ride Honda CBR-RRs.

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