As always, the trip to Macau will provide the highlight of many a Formula Three season, even if, for the 52nd running of the
FIA Intercontinental Cup will not feature either the British or Euroseries champions.
Instead, the street classic gets the World Series by Renault champion, plus a smattering of leading runners from the UK, to complement the more heavily-represented Japanese and Euro series - plus the usual Macanese also-rans back for another crack at their home event.
With Alvaro Parente already committed to the A1 Grand Prix series in Malaysia,
McLaren's decision to advise Euroseries champion
Lewis Hamilton not to travel to the Far East robbed the Macau showpiece of its two pre-race favourites but, conversely, may have provided the most open event for some years.
The only current F3 champion on show will be All-Japan title-winner Joao Paulo de Oliveira, running with the works TOM's team alongside
Kazuki Nakajima, son of former
F1 midfielder Satoru, back for his second appearance at the event. Britain is best represented by its series runner-up - the American Charlie Kimball - while the Euroseries can boast its two leading rookies -
Sebastien Vettel and Guillaume Moreau - in the absence of either of the ASM drivers that dominated the championship.
With two seats to fill, ASM opted for Loic Duval to partner rising star Vettel, while the Euroseries can also boast a 2005 racewinner in the form of Lucas di Grassi. Franck Perera, polewinner a year ago in Bahrain, returns with Prema, while veteran Fabio Carbone, Euro-domiciled Japanese Kohei Hirate and rookie Filip Salaquarda complete the series' runners. Past form bodes well for the list, however, as, a year ago, di Grassi, Carbone and Perera finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.
“I’m looking forward to both Macau and my inaugural race for Team ASM," Vettel said, "So far, I’ve seen the circuit only on videos, but it seems to have a little bit of everything.
