The 2023 Macau Grand Prix will herald the welcome return of several high-profile road racing specialists for the first time since 2019, it has been revealed.

Considered one of the premier events on the road racing calendar, the unique challenges of the Macau Grand Prix - a high-speed blast around the notorious Guia street circuit - have attracted some of motorcycle racing's most iconic figures over the decades.

For 2023, the Macau Grand Prix will see several esteemed road racing figures return to the small Portuguese colony located on the fringes of mainland China for the first time in four years.

Indeed, after the event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, strict quarantine regulations still in place for the GP's return in 2022 deterred many international competitors from making the trip last year.

For 2023, however, the Macau Grand Prix is back to full strength with an entry featuring former winners, intriguing debutants and seasoned veterans.

Winners in BSB and at the Isle of Man TT already this year, FHO Racing will be centre of attention as it attempts to complete a 'triple crown' with success in Macau.

As well as representing the team's first outing in Macau under the FHO Racing banner, it will represent a poignant homecoming for owner and manager Faye Ho. The Macanese entrepreneur was a prolific backer for several riders competing in the event prior to her taking over the former Smiths Racing operation to create her own FHO Racing team.

Armed with factory support from BMW Motorrad, FHO Racing start as favourites with a decorated line-up comprising Peter Hickman, Michael Rutter and Josh Brookes.

With 13 Macau GP wins between them, Hickman and Rutter take their rivalry for honours in-house for 2023. Eyeing up a record-breaking tenth win in Macau, Rutter - whose first win came back in 1998 - will attempt to emulate his somewhat bizarre success in 2019 when he was declared the winner after just a single lap of racing due to a red flag stoppage and schedule constraints.

For Hickman, he'll be targeting a fourth victory to consolidate his status as today's road racing star, the Louth rider being joined by BSB team-mate Josh Brookes, who will make his keenly-watched debut at Macau this year.

Elsewhere, Davey Todd will be in action on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing BMW M 1000 RR, while David Johnson teams up with Dominic Herbertson at Dafabet Racing aboard a pair of Kawasaki ZX-10RR machines.

Irishman Brian McCormack will compete as a satellite representative of FHO Racing on his Roadhouse Macau-backed BMW M 1000 RR, while other figures from the international delegate include Germany's David Datzer and Finland's 2022 Macau GP winner Erno Kostamo.