BAGUIO CITY – Baguio-based and multi-awarded car racer Inigo Anton will have an acid test of his driving skills as he will be competing in the highly anticipated Formula 4 Southeast Asia (SEA) Championship starting next month at the renowned Petronas International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia and Buriram International Circuit in Thailand.
The young Anton will be racing with the Black Arts racing team coached by former F1 driver Alex Yoong.
Earlier, Anton, son of multiawarded car racer Carlos Anton and Karen Navarrete-Anton, was awarded the Motorsport Achievement Award for 2024 by the Golden Wheel Awards Foundation, Inc..
Last year, Anton cliched back to back rookie race wins in F4 Australia and also raised the Philippine flag in other international races aside from winning the championship in the 2024 Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup, owning the distinction of being the only racer who has won the said race twice.
Further, Anton also won championships in both Formula V1 and Radical Cars Philippines.
In 2022, Anton made history by winning three championships in a single year, earning titles as the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup Super-Sporting Champion, Radical Philippines Champion and being recognized as the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) Driver of the Year for Circuit Racing after topping the Philippine GT Championship.
He represented the country as the sole participant in the inaugural Olympic Esports Competition in motorsports held in Singapore where he finished as a finalist among the top 10 Gran Turismo racers globally.
He was able to position himself as one of the most skilled and versatile Filipino race car drivers because of his exceptional talent and unwavering commitment to the sport, values that resonate among young and upcoming drivers like him.
Anton’s career in car racing has been considered as extraordinary, marked by numerous championships and incredible achievements across various disciplines. From his early victories as an 8-year old in time attack racer to his recent success in top tier car racing championships in the country, his relentless drive and exceptional skills have propelled him to the top of the racing world.
Anton’s racing career saw him transition from car racing to karting. He was named the 2015 Formula Cadet Philippines Novice Karter of the Year, the 2016 Formula Cadet Philippine National Karter of the Year and was able to clinch top spot on the podium on Macau during the 2015 Asian karting Open Champion Round 1. His achievement serves as a testament to his adaptability and skill as he transitioned from driving race cars to go-karts.
He continued to make waves and break records as at just 11 years old, he etched his name in the history books by becoming the youngest slalom and autocross champion racer. The said titles exemplified his unrevealed abilities to navigate through challenging courses with unmatched speed, agility, and finesse. Anton remained undeterred and finished on the podium in all races.
His upcoming participation to the Formula 4 will serve as a deciding factor on what awaits him in his colorful racing career considering the expected stiff competition that he will encounter in the 15 races that he will be joining that are spread out over five weekends.
Motul Philippines Infiniteserv International will be serving as one of Anton’s major sponsors in his participation to the upcoming Formula 4 SEA in Malaysia and Thailand.
The young car racer assured the people of Baguio that he will do his best to bring home at least a championship from the said international race and that he will try to continue bring honor and pride to the city as a producer of top caliber car racers like his father who is also serving as his coach. By Dexter A. See
