'Winner' Davey Todd "looking forward to next year" after Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix cancelled because of wet weather

Todd claimed pole on the FHO Racing BMW by just over two tenths of a second from Finland’s Erno Kostamo, with four-time winner Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) pipping team-mate Michael Rutter for third on his final qualifying lap.

Widespread rain around the 3.8-mile Guia street course on Sunday made it impossible for the race to go ahead as a week of unprecedented inclement weather caused by nearby typhoons continued to play havoc with the schedule, with the motorcycle race failing to run for the first time.

After practice was called off on Thursday and Friday because of poor weather and a lack of time following seven red flags in a qualifying session for the FIA Formula Regional cars respectively, the only action for the bikes was a short free practice session and condensed qualifying session of around 35 minutes on Saturday.

It wasn’t how 29-year-old Todd would have wanted to be crowned a Macau GP winner, but the Saltburn man said the situation was out of everyone’s control.

“It’s been a hectic one from start to finish at this year’s Macau Grand Prix,” said Todd, who was making his FHO Racing BMW debut at Macau.

“It’s a real shame about the weather but what can we do at the end of the day – it’s out of everybody’s control.

“The organisers have done the best job they possibly can with what we’ve had here and we’ve just been super unlucky with these typhoons coming in – three we’ve had this week – and at this time of year it’s not normal.

“To qualify on pole and in essence take the race win is pretty cool and we’ve got two FHO Racing riders on the podium here for the team’s home race, so it’s really cool to do that for the FHO team and I’m really pleased to start of my relationship with the team like this,” he added.

“I’m already looking forward to next year and hopefully we have a different set weather-wise.

“I’m looking forward to it and I’d be team-mates with Peter next year also, so I think we’d both be coming back better and stronger and hopefully get the race under way.”

Penz13 BMW rider Kostamo, the winner of a depleted race at Macau in 2022 when Covid restrictions meant many of the top names gave the race a miss, said it had been a “crazy” weekend.

“It’s a crazy Macau weekend and I’m lost for words,” Kostamo said, “so I will go to the hotel and go to sleep.”

Hickman was pleased to have sealed a front row qualifying spot but was obviously looking forward to challenging for his fifth win at Macau in what should have been a 12-lap race on Sunday.

“Everything has been against us but at least I’ve got the full set now – I’ve got a first, a second and a third trophy I can put up at home; bronze, silver and gold, so I’ve made the full set,” said the Burton-on-Trent man.

“Like Davey said it’s good for Faye (Ho, team principal) and FHO and we both got on the front row yesterday, which has turned out to be the race result in the end.

“For me personally, I’m not really a qualifying sort of person and I always look forward to a race, as we all do of course, but it just wasn’t to be this year.

“We’ll have to try and come back next year and fingers crossed it will all go smoothly.”

English rider Matt Stevenson crashed on Saturday in qualifying on the Dafabet Racing Kawasaki but escaped without serious injury.