2017 Formula 4 Southeast Asia Series' PH Leg Kicks Off Today

Race aficionados, better open your schedule as the Philippine leg for the 2017  Formula 4 Southeast Asia Championship (Formula 4 SEA)series is set to heat up Clark International Speedway this weekend. 

The second leg of the Formula 4 race series starts will be held today and tomorrow, October 21 and 22, following the kickoff race last September 29 to October 1 in the Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix.

Touted as the most cost-effective step in entering the world of Formula Racing Series, to an Federation Internationale de l’Automobil (FIA)-accredited career in the world Formula Racing wherein racers are on a level playing field, the Formula 4 SEA program focuses on driver experience and development using FIA-homologated Formula 4 race cars and engines.

F4 promoter Peter Thompson expressed excitement on the latest season. "We are extremely delighted to be back with a brand-new season of the Formula 4 SEA Championships--certified by the FIA."

He also said that strong local representation from the drivers, boosted by the local racing facilities helped them in "building and nourishing an Asian Autosport ecosystem."

After the Philippine leg, the next part of the race series will be done at Sentul, Indonesia on November 24-26, with the fourth at the Buriram United International Circuit in Thailand in January 12-14 next year. The series will then conclude at Malaysia on February 9-11.

This year, the organizers of the F4 SEA championships this year partnered with Philippine oil giant Petron Corporation as the official fuel and engine oil for the season.

The official fuel will be Petron Blaze 100 Euro 6 with the Petron Blaze Racing for the engine oil. Certified by international testing institutions, Petron Blaze 100 Euro 6 is 100-octane pure gasoline formulation. On the other hand, the Petron Blaze Racing is fully synthetic amd contains Thermal Stress Stabilizing System (TS3), which is said to be built for high-performance racing.

BANNERING PH FLAG

For the Philippine leg, a total of 17 drivers--three of which will be bannering the Philippine flag--will be vying for podium finishes.

Based on the official magazine of the Formula 4 SEA Championships, the country's colors will be donned by Tyson Sy along with siblings Ben Grimes and Sam Grimes.

Sy has more than a decade of experience under his belt. Meanwhile, 19-year old Ben had his limelight when he was atop the winner's podium in the Formula 1 Masters race series, while his younger brother Sam has been fond of karting ever since he was little.

In the last Formula 4 SEA Championship series, the country's colored were donned by Angie King and Gabriel Dayao.