Hartley finished third in the British F3 Championship this year, taking five wins, but thinks he did not do a good enough job with Carlin Motorsport teammates Jaime Alguersuari and Oliver Turvey finishing ahead of him.
And that is why he is hoping his experience from Macau last year will pay off this weekend so he can end his season on a high.
When asked whether victory in Macau would make up for his British F3 season, he told autosport.com: "I think it would to be honest. I think I could go home to New Zealand a bit happier.
"Although I had a pretty good season it was not really good enough. There were too many mistakes and a few bad races. Winning this race would definitely make up for it.
"It is the best race of the year and if you win it you get globally recognised as a good driver, so it's a fantastic. It's a big deal winning here, as there is so much history to this place."
Hartley faces one of the most competitive Macau GP fields this year. As well as the threat posed by his teammates, other strong contenders are expected to be Japanese F3 champion Carlo van Dam and Euro Series front-runners Edoardo Mortara and Jules Bianchi.
"It is going to be tough," admitted Hartley. "To be perfectly honest I am not really a confident person, but I am feeling pretty good about the race.
"I did pretty well at Bucharest this year, which is another street circuit. I was pretty fast there and won a race. I am just really excited to hop in the car tomorrow morning and see what happens.
"In my opinion it is the best track in the world and I am just getting a bit excited about it, a bit anxious. I have pretty high expectations and I definitely want to be on the podium this weekend. I don't see why it is not possible. It is a bonus to have driven here before. I can't wait to get out there to be honest."
And Hartley thinks the fact he does have that year's experience here could provide him with a vital edge over the many rookies in the field.
"It is going to be easier this year because last year when I raced here it was only my second race in an F3 car, with no testing at all.
"I will be a lot more confident this year. And confidence is a big key around this track. If you are confident with the car it is a big factor because you have to be within millimetres of the wall and there is no room for error, so experience could be a big thing."
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