Reversed grid dropped for Macau finale

The final round of the 2015 TCR International Series won’t feature a reversed grid for the first time this season, with the results of race one setting the order for race two at the Guia Race.

Prior to 2005, the Guia Race of Macau was just a single race, with the grid determined by the result of qualifying. From 2005 onwards, the format of the event switched to two races, taking on the reversed grid second race format as the event became the final round of the World Touring Car Championship.

The TCR International Series has featured a reversed top ten grid, with the race two grid based on the result of qualifying with the top ten reversed so far this season.

The format for Macau means the race winner will start from pole position for race two, similar to the way the Formula 3 event works with the Saturday qualifying race determining the grid for Sunday’s feature race.

This is likely to have a significant bearing on how the weekend is approached by the main championship challengers, as well as one-off entrants such as Rob Huff in the WestCoast Racing Honda, as there is now no advantage in aiming for a lower top-ten position in qualifying in order to benefit from grid position in race two.