Earlier this week, W Series confirmed its decision to curtail the remainder of its scheduled 2022 season, and that the final three races - at Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas, USA (21-22 October) and a double-header at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico, on 28-30 October – will not go ahead.
Naturally, as a rookie driver from the Academy team for both 2022 and 2023 seasons, I am disappointed and saddened by the announcement. Unfortunately, finance and fundraising are harsh realities of motorsport; to that end, I sincerely thank Catherine Muir Bond and the entire W Series organization for their hard work and dedication to keep W Series going, and for giving this young Filipina the opportunity to compete on the global motorsport stage.
I also want to thank the Academy team crew, my engineer Sam Owens, as well as my coach Richard Lyons. I have learnt so much from you all, and it was an eye opening experience just to see the level of preparation required at this level of racing – just so that I can perform at my very best. Certainly, a special thank you to my manager Darryl O’Young and the CBR Media team who believed in me right from the beginning – even as I sat at home early this year, contemplating about retiring from professional racing. Thank you for being a big part of where I am today and this amazing journey in 2022.
In addition, I am extremely grateful for the legions of BiaCrew and The Dark Horse community members. Although many of us may live halfway around the world, words cannot express how much I appreciate all your messages and words of encouragement. I won’t give up.
I am also honored to have represented the Philippines in all these different countries. The support I received from Filipino’s on and off-track has been such a shock, and I hope that I will soon be back to compete on track and make you proud.
W Series was my first professional experience in formula cars, and what a privilege it was. Because of W Series, I completed my first race, secured my first points, even experienced my first DNF…and my first official wet race! Undoubtedly, this year has been the most exciting and rewarding year in my career so far, and I feel so fortunate. The experience I shared with my fellow female drivers was invaluable to me – as an athlete and a woman. I was able to learn from them and witness the determination, discipline and fire in all of us, as we pursue our ultimate goal – to reach Formula 1.
I have always believed that life is not about the destination – but about the journey itself. While the future is uncertain, I remain hopeful that W Series will resume in 2023. For now, I hold my head up with pride as I continue to train and work hard, and will actively explore my racing options to ensure that my career continues to progress. I am confident that I will be back on the track soon, and I am looking forward to racing once again.
