GP ANNIVERSARY TROPHY

Sunday November 9
Weather: Damp and drying track

FRANK SYTNER GRABS VICTORY IN THRILLING FINISH

Frank Sytner grabbed a last-minute victory in the Macau Grand Prix Anniversary Trophy race on Sunday after an enthralling duel with fellow Briton Simon Hadfield. The pair battled almost every inch of the way to delight the spectators as they were separated by less than two tenths of a second at the chequered flag.

With track conditions damp from a morning downpour, the 10-lap race began under the Safety Car. The field was eventually released at the end of the second lap and, although pole position man Hadfield made a brilliant getaway in his Lotus 30, he was soon swallowed up by Sytner's Lola T70 Spyder on the run down to Lisboa.

But it did not take Hadfield long to respond and, after running right in the slipstream of Sytner up the hill from San Francisco Bend, he made a decisive move through Hospital and stormed into the lead. The pair then swapped positions numerous times - with Sytner's straight-line speed advantage powering him past on the main straights before Hadfield could respond in the twisty back section of the track.

With two laps to go, however, it appeared Hadfield had made a clean break as he opened out almost a four second advantage on Sytner. But, after losing time behind back markers, Sytner was again right on his tail and Hadfield could do nothing to stop his rival diving through on the straight before the final corner.

A delighted Sytner said: "I was really looking forward to the straights because in the twisty parts my car was too slow. It was great fun out there."

Hadfield was far from unhappy with the result though. In fact, he was more than delighted with the show that stirred the spectators in the Macau grandstands. "I hoped it looked stunning when the two cars were running side-by-side going up the hill," he said. "It certainly was from where I was sitting."

Denis Welch grabbed the final podium position after putting eventual race winner Sytner under pressure in the closing stages of the race. He knew that his Lotus 23B's lack of top speed would give him little chance of making a move on the straights, but there was never a real opportunity to get past on the back section.

Denmark's Jac Nellemann was the leading Class A finisher, for cars built between 1950 and 1959, after grabbing fourth place in his Lotus 17. Briton David Piper escaped totally unhurt after crashing into the tyres at R Bend on lap nine in his Ferrari 275LM.

Issued on behalf of the Macau Grand Prix Committee by PR Plus Limited