On This Day | When a French racer died during the Macau Grand Prix in 2005 – from the SCMP archive
In 2005, French motorcyclist Bruno Bonhuil was killed during a warm-up session for the Macau Grand Prix
This article was first published on November 20, 2025
By Alvin Sallay
French motorcycle ace killed in Macau
Veteran French rider Bruno Bonhuil was killed when he crashed during the warm-up session for the showpiece motorcycle race at the Macau Grand Prix on Saturday (November 19, 2005).
“It is a huge shock and a terrible tragedy for his family,” said Michael Rutter, who later went on to win the Motorcycle Grand Prix and equal Ron Haslam’s record of six wins.
Bonhuil, 45, was riding for the Team of Paris (TOP), a Hong Kong-based team of French motor-racing fans. He crashed into the barriers coming out of Mandarin Bend. The force sent his Suzuki machine hurtling down the track, while Bonhuil was seen lying motionless on the track, immediately raising fears that he had suffered fatal injuries.
Organisers confirmed his death after the race, saying: “The Macau Grand Prix Committee regret to announce that Bruno Bonhuil has passed away from injuries received in an accident during warm up this morning.”