Stobart VK Vent Axia Honda rider John McGuinness was denied victory by the cruellest of fortunes in today’s 41st running of the Macau Grand Prix where he had to settle for second place. The 34 year old from Morecambe was riding for the Paul Bird Motorsport team in the Far Eastern classic and was holding a slender lead when on the fifteenth and final lap, the 13 times TT winner came upon some backmarkers at the Melco Hairpin.
The 2001 winner had to shut off the throttle to avoid a collision which allowed rival Steve Plater through to snatch his second successive victory leaving a bitterly disappointed McGuinness with the consolation of a new lap record.
For team mate and fellow TT winner Ian Hutchinson, it was a tale of disappointment aboard the second of the Phil Borley-prepared Honda Fireblades. Now recovered from a recently broken collarbone, the young Yorkshireman was well in contention when his bike developed a misfire, which was later traced to faulty fuel, and as a result, he was forced to retire.
Team owner Paul Bird, currently on holiday in Mauritius, commented:“I really feel for the team out there, they’ve done a fantastic job and both John and Ian have been incredibly unlucky. Once again, they proved that they were the men to beat in practice and to come away without a win is soul destroying. But then again, John never seems to have any luck out there, I’ve told them both to go and drown their sorrows!”
Result: 1 Steve Plater – GB - (AIM Yamaha) 37:03.845
2 John McGuinness – GB - (Stobart VK Vent Axia Honda) 37:07.965
3 Thomas Hinterreiter – AUT - (Austria Racing Team Yamaha) 37:14.236
4 Jeremy Toye - USA – (Lee's Cycles Suzuki) 37:45.996
5 Conor Cummins - IOM – (DMR Yamaha) 37:49.495
6 Mark Miller - USA – (Corona Extra Honda) 37:54.405
7 Les Shand – GB – (Honda - BTS Honda) 38:01.092
8 James McBride – GB – (JV Yamaha) 38:09.873
9 Luis Carreira – POR – (Benimoto Yoshimura Suzuki) 38:13.825
10 Martin Finnegan – IRL – (MV Agusta) 38:14.274
