Gabe Tayao delighted the hometown crowd by becoming the first Filipino to top a Formula 4 race while clinching third overall in the 2016 Formula 4 Southeast Asia Championships at Clark International Speedway in Pampanga recently.
The 16-year-old former Asian karting champion ruled Race 3 of the five-race, two-day event and eventually grabbed a total of six awards, including a pair of third-place finishes and two top-rookie plums, at the kickoff of the regional Formula 4 series.
Seasoned drifting ace Angie King wound up third in the race topped by Tayao and will head for the circuit’s next leg in Indonesia in November as one of the favored female racers.
Unfazed by the quality of the opposition, Tayao and King showed excellent driving skills in the difficult rainy conditions.
Launched worldwide this year, Formula 4 is now regarded as the stepping stone to Formula 1. The Southeast Asia series is on the lookout for Asian talents who can make a name in formula single-seater racing. —Steve Silva, Contributor