HMO Customer Racing will close out a four-round jaunt on the 2025 FIA TCR World Tour this weekend at the notorious Guia Street Circuit in Macau, bringing a two-time TCR Australia champion and his rookie teammate to the most theatrical stage of them all. It is the final round of a short but intense international campaign for the Australian outfit.
The returning veteran missed the previous round in Zhuzhou, where a high-profile substitute drove hard to be the leading Hyundai in fourth overall, while the rookie scored his best touring car result to date with sixth in the final race. The pair now face Macau, where margins are measured in millimetres and patience is a scarce commodity.
With no confirmed programme for 2026, this could be the experienced driver’s last outing in TCR after five seasons that produced nine race wins, including a recent World Tour victory at Inje Speedium, 33 podiums and two national championships. If it is a farewell, it would be a suitably dramatic one.
Macau And The Stakes
Macau’s Guia layout is a glorious, terrifying 6.12 kilometre loop of tight city streets, high speed sections and walls that do not forgive mistakes. This weekend marks the 72nd running of the Macau Grand Prix, an event that has carried touring cars on its support bill since 1972 and welcomed TCR machinery since 2015. Experience is a major currency here, so the local knowledge of rivals may be decisive.
Hyundai has had its moments in recent years on the World Tour finale, grabbing a pole in 2023 and a race win in 2024, plus several other podiums. HMO Customer Racing is the first Australian team to take part in the TCR World Tour at Macau, which adds an extra slice of history to the weekend.
Weekend Format And Schedule
The pair will use two 30 minute practice sessions on Thursday to learn the circuit and fine tune their Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR machines. Friday brings a 30 minute qualifying session followed by a 15 minute top 10 shootout. The action then concludes with 10 lap races on Saturday and Sunday.
Local times for the event are: Practice 1 at 2:05pm AEST on Thursday, Practice 2 at 5:20pm AEST on Thursday, Qualifying at 3:10pm AEST on Friday with the top 10 shootout shortly afterwards, Race 1 at 4:20pm AEST on Saturday and Race 2 at 2:00pm AEST on Sunday.
Drivers’ Thoughts
Car 30 – i30 Sedan N TCR
Without a confirmed plan for next year this could be my last dance in TCR. There are worse places for a swansong than Macau. I have ticked most boxes in this category now except a world title, so racing here is another rare highlight. I am as excited as I am terrified. This circuit offers little margin for error and experience carries huge weight, so outright expectations have to be realistic. My aim is to be quick in every session and the fastest of the non-regulars. Somewhere in the top 10 in the first race and a good result in the reversed second race would be the dream.
Car 5 – i30 Sedan N TCR
Macau is one of the toughest street circuits on the planet and a genuine bucket list track. I am thrilled and feel privileged to be here in only my fourth touring car event. It is also my first time on a street circuit, so the priority is to stay off the walls and build consistently through the sessions. Overtaking is hard, so track position from qualifying will be crucial. I have done plenty of homework with on-board footage, simulator laps and chatting with other drivers, and the confidence from the last race suggests we are heading in the right direction.
The Car
The Hyundai i30 Sedan N TCR is the latest customer racing challenger from Hyundai Motorsport, introduced in 2020 as the successor to earlier N TCR models. It has an accomplished racing pedigree, carrying on the link between showroom performance cars and their track counterparts. The TCR variant is front wheel drive, powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged four cylinder engine developed by Hyundai Motorsport and closely related to the production unit in the i30 Sedan N.
The car’s dimensions are roughly 4,710 mm in length, 1,950 mm wide with a 2,750 mm wheelbase, and it races at around 1,265 kg including driver. The power output is in the region of 257 kW at 7,000 rpm with about 450 Nm of torque. Transmission is a six speed sequential unit with paddle shift, and the suspension is fully adjustable MacPherson struts up front and a four arm multi link arrangement at the rear. Braking hardware includes six piston callipers and 380 mm ventilated discs at the front, and two piston callipers with 278 mm discs at the rear. The car runs on 18 inch specially designed alloys and competition slick tyres, with a 100 litre fuel tank.
This weekend in Macau will be a test of nerve, tyre and setup where one stray moment can define a season. The scene is set for drama, and the Australians in Hyundai colours are ready to play their part.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
