Pinnacle Motorsport boss John O’Hara says his team’s Macau Grand Prix win came as “no surprise” to him, as Theo Nael and Mari Boya secured a 1-2 finish for the Irish outfit.
Pinnacle was making only its second Macau appearance, having been handed the chance to join the field upon the race’s switch from FIA Formula 3 to Formula Regional machinery last year, owing to its success in the Formula Regional Middle East championship.
After finishing third last year with Noel Leon, the KCMG-sponsored squad locked out the top two positions this time around amid a thrilling finish in which Nael vaulted from third to first with a double pass on Boya and R-ace GP’s Enzo Deligny.
Despite not having the same profile of the other teams on the Macau grid such as Prema, ART Grand Prix and Trident that compete higher up the junior single-seater ladder, O’Hara said he was always confident that Macau success was in the team’s grasp.
“It’s the biggest race of the year for us, so we put a lot of effort into this weekend, in terms of car preparation, marketing, drivers, doing all the deals early,” O’Hara told Autosport. “But I had no doubts that if we performed at our best, that this is the result we would get.
“People may not be aware of us, because we are not in the spotlight in Europe, but we have been competing very strongly against many of these teams for the last seven or eight years in the Middle East, so for me it’s no surprise.”
Asked whether victory in Macau could encourage Pinnacle towards racing in Europe in future, O’Hara replied: “We’re open to competing in Europe but all the elements need to be correct. We don’t want to do it just to make up the numbers. If we do something, it is to be as competitive as possible. For 2026, it won’t be the case, but we don’t rule anything out in the future.”
Boya spent the first part of the race fighting Prema driver Freddie Slater for the lead, gaining the advantage off the line, only to then lose it on the first safety car restart at Lisboa.
The second safety car gave Boya another chance to attack Slater, which he seized with a similarly brave outside move at Lisboa, after which Slater crashed out at R Bend to bring out the final caution that swung the race in favour of Nael.
“I saw on the first restart that the slipstream was really powerful,” said the Aston Martin junior. “I felt like I did a really good job and [Slater] just overtook me super easily.
“Once I saw I couldn’t stay with him, I tried to save my tyres and I prepared the restarts, for my opportunity. I had the luck with the [second] safety car.
“He was incredibly fast in the last two corners, but the slipstream was so powerful that I was able to arrive and risk it a lot under braking. I knew it was my chance to pass Freddie.
“He made a mistake in the last corner and I thought it was my race because I had a gap. But then safety car, one-lap race, ciao! I tried to do what I could in the last two corners but the slipstream was too powerful. Theo did an amazing job, congratulations to him.”
Boya later added: “They changed the [tyre] compound, so it’s easier to have the tyre ready and harder to defend. There was nothing more I could do, just waiting for a car to overtake.
“This is Macau. I’m a bit sad now, but as a driver it’s still the best experience you can have.”
Frenchman Nael started the qualifying race on pole, only to drop to third after making a poor start in a race devoid of safety car periods, and spent most of the main race running in fourth until he was promoted back to third by Slater’s crash.
“I did a good restart,” said Nael of the final stages. “I just put it in sixth gear, flat out. I don’t know why but they [Boya and Deligny] slowed down a bit too much, I went to the left, I closed the door late, I kept an eye on my mirrors with Mari, and it worked.
“I know that we are racing in Macau so anything can happen until the chequered flag. I was patient but it was a rollercoaster the whole weekend.”
O’Hara also admitted Boya was unfortunate to lose out on victory in such circumstances.
“He was running first on the road when the safety car came out and that worked against him,” he said of Boya. “That’s Macau – you have to take the rough with the smooth.
“Both drivers deserved to win. You can talk about Freddie Slater, he was super-fast, but he was feeling the pressure, put it in the wall. We were right there and we maximised the result.”
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