I can't believe it's not Rutter: Road racer honoured with Macau Madame Tussauds waxwork

Road racing legend Michael Rutter, alongside his Ducati 998RS, has been immortalised in wax at the Macau Grand Prix Museum, with a new lifelike waxwork produced by Madame Tussauds.

Commissioned by the Macau Government to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the challenging road race, which will take place later this year, Rutter’s sculpture stands alongside ones of Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Ron Haslam, and more.

“They came up to the workshop for the day and spent the whole time measuring me with lasers. It was really amazing how they did it,” Rutter told MCN.

“I can’t explain it, because I’ve seen myself in the mirror, I’ve seen myself in photos, and I’ve seen myself on TV, but they’ve done such a good job that it looks real.”

He continued: “In real life it looks very, very good. Seeing myself from different angles, I thought: ‘Jesus Christ, my ears can’t be that big! It actually makes you feel cold because it’s like your double.”

Rutter is the most successful bike racer ever to take to the Macau GP course, with nine victories around the circuit. He made his debut in 1994, got his first podium in 1996, and took his first win in 1998.

Meanwhile, the museum itself opened in 1993 and underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2017. It re-opened again in 2021, with four floors celebrating the grand prix. It covers the history of the event back to 1954, with the first bike race having taken place in 1967.

Rutter added: “I’d like to say a big thank you to the Macau Government for acknowledging my record at the Macau GP. It’s always nice to be recognised by an organiser for the time and effort that goes into being able to compete over such a long period of time, as well as any success along the way.”