Bathams/SMT BMW’s Peter Hickman did exactly what team boss Robin Croft planned at the 50th running of the Mcau Grand Prix and put one of the team’s bikes on top of the podium, snatching victory from veteran and team-mate Michael Rutter on the penultimate lap while it was heart-break again for poleman Martin Jessopp.
Rutter had led from the lights and set a fast pace with race rookie Glenn Irwin on the Be Wiser Ducati second and the Riders BMW of Jessopp in close attendance. As Rutter opened up a 0.762s gap on the field, Jessopp made short work of Irwin, taking second on lap two into Lisboa and set about chasing down the Midlander.
On lap three, Jessopp set the fastest lap of the race - a 2’24.931 to halve the gap to Rutter while Hickman made his way up to the rear wheel of Irwin. The Lincolnshire rider grabbed third into Lisboa on lap four and then built his pace in an effort to hunt down the leaders.
Rutter’s gap on lap five was 0.415s as he responded to Jessopp’s challenge but he was having none of it and on lap seven it was just under a tenth. Jessopp made his move and bagged the lead but Rutter was straight back a lap later, re-taking the lead into Lisboa as Hickman towed Irwin up to their back wheels.
With five laps left, Jessopp made his move - again at Lisboa - and immediately pulled out half a second while Hickman started make a nuisance of himself, looking for a way past Rutter. With three left, Rutter got the gap down to 0.139s and then on the run to Lisbao, Jessopp suffered gearchange problems and the two gold BMWs went past, followed by Irwin.
On the penultimate lap, Jessop found his way back past the Irishman and looked to have race-winning pace. Hickman had snatched the lead from his team-mate and didn’t look back, taking his second win in a row as Rutter just about fended off Jessopp’s charge for second place.
Irwin also suffered a problem and pulled into the pits before taking the chequered flag but acquitted himself extremely well for a first appearance at Macau
Honda’s Conor Cummins had a quiet ride for fourth place with Horst Saiger in fifth place. Stuart Easton, on the third Bathams bike, defended sixth place from John McGuinness on the last lap with Ian Hutchinson sliding back to eighth from fourth in the latter stages.
Derek Sheils, also a rookie, bagged ninth while Dan Cooper rounded out the top ten. Dan Kneen was 11th, Didier Gram 12th, Danny Webb 13th, Sam West 14th and American Mark Miller 15th.
