Macau: Senna gets best result

The Brazilian benefited from a chaotic final lap to the event, when the three leading cars all crashed out in two separate incidents, to grab the runner-up spot behind local driver Cheong.

Both drivers failed to see the chequered flag amid all the confusion and carried on racing on the slowing down lap - with Senna taking the lead on the run through Mandarin Bend.

It all went wrong at the end of the lap, however, as Senna tried to defend his position. He braked too late for R Bend and speared off into the tyre barriers. He hopped out of the car, thinking his afternoon was over, before being told that the race had finished the previous lap.

"I didn't know I was in second place because there was too much mess on the track over the final lap," said Senna. "I didn't know I had finished second until the marshals told me

"I saw Cheong slow down a bit at Mandarin [on the slowing down lap], so I passed him, and then when I got to the hairpin I had some trouble getting through there.

"I was trying to defend my position but I had some dirt on my tyres and braked at the wrong time and went off into the barriers."

American Scott Speed, who is due to test for the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team later this year, finished third.