TrackRecord - The legacy of F1 in Malaysia by TrackRecord

Official Magazine of the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship

What is Formula 4 SEA?

#16

PETRON - Blaze-ing a path to glory

#22

Driving the future

The legacy of F1 in Malaysia 6 action-packed Formula 4 races at the final Formula 1 GP in Malaysia

September - 2017 Issue 1

F4 SEA - 2017 - Event 1

Foreword and table of contents

Table of contents

The legacy of F1

#4 - What is F4? Formula 4 is the first step on the FIA pyramid to F1...

#6 - 2016 - A milestone of success The F4 SEA championship 2016 included 36 races...

#4 - What is Formula 4? Formula 4 is the first step on t...

#10 - Sepang International Circuit The Herman Tilke designed Sepang international...

#13 - The legacy of F1 in Malaysia In 1999 the world became acquainted with a small...

#16 - Blazing a path to glory PETRON Malaysia is part of PETRON Corporation in...

#16 - Blazing a path PETRON Malaysia is part of Petr...

#20 - F4 champion 'Strolls' to F1 It seems every now and then in this ultimate...

#22 - Driving the Future I've a passion for motorsport and enjoy using my...

#24 - Motorsport Heroes

"It is our great honour and the FIA-sanctioned Formula 4 2017 season to Sepang We are proud to witness this by Formula 4 SEA, and it is note that this endeavour is a hosting of Formula 1 over Indeed, F4 will take over and will become the legacy Formula 4 SEA represents and constructive platform on their journey to Formula F4 championship's oneoffers drivers a level playing very pleased to see such format available to young F4 represents the FIA’s developing junior formula the pioneering race series talent. The AAM is negotiating with Singapore, Taiwan and India our Formula 4 events, to help base throughout Asia. We are truly excited about premiere taking place International Circuit on occasion, and we look more Malaysians flying the in motorsport in the future. championship contenders a season."

MERITUS’ winning culture - When you think of...

#22 - Driving the future I've a passion for motorsport a...

#28 - F4 SEA 2017 - Entry list The 2017 Formula 4 SEA entry list..

#30 - F4 SEA 2017 - Drivers bio A full breakdown of the 2017 drivers...

#38 - F4 SEA 2017 - Calendar A quick look at the 2017 championship...

#24 - Motorsport Heroes MERITUS’ winning culture - Whe...

Y.M. Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar Tunku Mustapha Chairman of the FIA Affiliate in Malaysia (AAM)

TrackRecord - 2017 - F4 SEA Event 1

Thursday 28th September

privilege to usher in SEA Championship International Circuit. home-grown effort encouraging to result of Malaysia's the past decade. where F1 left off, of F1 in Malaysia. a cost-effective as drivers embark 1. The FIA-certified make race series field and we are a brilliant racing Asian drivers. gold standard for drivers and is now for up and coming the lead ASN’s in to accommodate build a strong talent the season’s at Sepang this historic forward to seeing Jalur Gemilang We wish all 2017 safe and successful

12:00 15:00 15:00 15:45 17:30 18:00

12:30

15:45 16:45 18:00 18:30

Track Activity Formula One F1 in Schools F1 in Schools Formula One Formula One

Taxi Rides (12 People) Press Conference Track Tour (Coach) Pit Lane Walk F1 Experience - Pit Lane Walk F1 Experience - Track Tour

Friday 29th September 08:00 08:45 09:30 11:00 12:50 13:30 13:30 15:00 17:00 17:00 17:50

08:45 09:10 10:15 12:30 13:15 14:00 14:30 16:30 17:30 18:00 18:20

Paddock Club FIA Formula 4 SEA Porsche Carrera Cup Formula One FIA Formula 4 SEA Paddock Club Paddock Club Formula One FIA Formula 4 SEA Formula One Malaysia Championship Series

Pit Lane Walk Practice Session Practice Session Practice 1 Qualifying Session Truck Tour Pit Lane Walk Practice 2 First Race (8 Laps or 25 Mins) Press Conference Practice Session

Saturday 30th September 10:05 10:55 11:00 11:45 12:00 12:30 12:35 14:00 15:20 15:55 17:00 18:30 19:10

10:35 11:25 11:30 12:15 1300 13:30 13:05 15:00 15:50 16:30 18:00 19:00 19:40

FIA Formula 4 SEA Malaysia Championship Series Formula One FIA Formula 4 SEA Promoter Activity Paddock Club FIA Formula 4 SEA Formula One Porsche Carrera Cup Paddock Club Formula One Malaysia Championship Series Paddock Club

Second Race (8 Laps or 25 Mins) Qualifying Session Team Pit Stop Practice Third Race (8 Laps or 25 Mins) Drivers' Fan Forum Pit Lane Walk Fourth Race (8 Laps or 25 Mins) Practice 3 Qualifying Session Pit Lane Walk Qualifying First Race (TBC Laps or 25 Mins) Truck Tour

Sunday 1st October 10:00 10:35 10:50 11:00 11:40 12:30 13:05 13:15 13:30 13:45 14:46 15:00

10:30 11:20 11:20 12:00 12:10 13:05 14:10 13:45

14:15

17:00

FIA Formula 4 SEA Paddock Club Malaysia Championship Series Promoter Activity FIA Formula 4 SEA Porsche Carrera Cup Paddock Club Paddock Club Formula One Formula One Formula One Formula One

Fifth Race (8 Laps or 25 Mins) Pit Lane Walk Second Race (TBC Laps or 25 Mins) F1 Drivers' Autograph Session TBC Sixth Race (8 Laps or 25 Mins) Race (14 Laps or 30 Mins) Pit Lane Walk Truck Tour Drivers' Track Parade Starting Grid Ceremony & Opening Ceremony National Anthem Grand Prix (56 Laps or 120 Mins)

What is Formula 4?

MalaYsia 29-01 October

Philippines 20-22 October

Indonesia 23-26 November

Thailand 12-14 January

Malaysia 08-10 February

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F1 F2 F3 F4

What is F4? Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) The FIA is the world governing body of motorsport, working across three key areas: Sport, Mobility and Campaigns. The FIA ‘Action for Road Safety’ campaign is embedded in all levels of the sport. But road safety is not the FIA's only agenda: training the next generation of motorsport heroes is a major part of what they do. With that in mind the FIA announced the pyramid to F1.

FIA Pyramid to F1 The FIA Pyramid to F1 is a 4-stage plan to develop young sportsmen, engineers and enthusiasts for careers in motorsport. The first stage is F4 where drivers start off at 15 years old, then they graduate to F2 and F3, along the way gaining the points they need to earn a super license - which is required to race in Formula 1. In much the same way we had to complete all the stages at school and college before seeking employment, young drivers of the future must climb the FIA pyramid before they can race in F1.

Formula 4 - The first step Formula 4 is the first step on the FIA pyramid to F1. Designed specifically to transition young sportsmen from karting into the world of single-seater racing, F4 is open to anyone aged 15 or above and teaches the next generation the racecraft that they need to progress their careers. Formula 4 SEA is the Asian regional championship of the FIA's F4 format, licensed to race in: Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and India.

2016 - A milestone of success

2016 A milestone of success "Good evening Tunku, Dato, friends, families, parents, drivers, and international Media. Welcome to the first MERITUS Awards Gala. We started MERITUS the race team in Malaysia 25 years ago. Now, with 36 Asian championship titles, MERITUS is an established Asian international motorsport brand. Our champions have gone on to race in F1 and win in GP2, GP3, the 24 hours of LeMans, and the Indy500. We created the MERITUS Awards to help profile and promote the Asian Autosport Ecosystem and our driver development programmes. Our aim is to motivate, reward and inspire our champions on each step of the FIA ladder from Karting to F1 via F4, F3 and F2 in Asia. I hope that our passion and the MERITUS Awards will help inspire our sports people to keep focused on their dreams.

AsiaCup Series The team behind Formula 4 SEA started their foray into championship organisation in 2013 with the AsiaCup Series. The goal was simple 'creating international motorsport heroes' and AsiaCup had a winning formula - one make, one team, one track, one cost and open data. This succes of this 'one' concept lead the FIA to upgrade the championship to Formula 4 SEA in 2016 and solidify the path to F1 in Asia.

TrackRecord - 2017 - F4 SEA Event 1

Formula 4 SEA

MERITUS Awards Gala

Formula 4 South East Asia is an FIA single organisation championship, similar to AsiaCupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one-team, one-make, one-data and one-cost concept, ensuring a cost-effective transition to formula racing for junior karters.

After a successful innaugural season the team behind Formula 4 SEA launched the MERITUS Awards Gala (MAG) at the final event.

The maiden F4 SEA championship included 36 races over 6 events in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailaland. Three Malaysian drivers, Adam Khalid, Eric Louis Pragasam and Chia Wing Hoong were awarded the SIC-Triple A scholarship programme allowing them to contest the 2016

The first of its kind in Asia the MAG's are intended to celebrate Asian motorsport champions promote the sport in the region. Rio Haryanto won the ASEAN Driver Of The Year while Presley Martono was crowned F4S SEA Champion & YM Tunku Mustapaha, Chairman of the AAM, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

2016 - A milestone of success

Event 2 Clark, Philippines Akash Gowda revelled in the wet and wild Clark International Circuit. The Indian driver mastered the torrential rains which lashed the Philippines during the second round of the Championship which saw only five races instead of the customary six. He won the first two races of the weekend but failed to finish the third. He bounced back to finish second in the fourth before ending the weekend fourth in the final race. He accumulated 19 points to beat New Zealand’s Faine Kahia (21) to the Fuji Xerox Star Drivers Award.

15 - September

11 - November 05 - August

Event 1 Sepang, Malaysia The inaugural round of the maiden championship saw Singapore’s Danial Frost and Australian Jordan Love dominate the six races with three wins each at Sepang International Circuit. Going into the final race of the event, the duo were neck-and-neck until Love was given a drive thru penalty and effectively handed race and event champion title to Frost. The Singaporean finished top with 10 points to win the Fuji Xerox Star Drivers Award. Love was second, 11 points behind.

Event 3 Sentul, Indonesia Consistency was the key to Indonesia’s Presley Martono clinching the Fuji Xerox Star Drivers Award in the third round of the Championship. Four runner-up finishes and one win helped him become the Event Champion with 17 points, four less than India’s Akash Gowda. The only blight on his record was the failure to finish the second race under wet conditions. Martono, however, didn’t allow that disappointment to get in his way as he roared back to be on the podium in the subsequent races, including winning Race Four with New Zealand’s Faine Kahnia finishing second.

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Event 4

Event 6

Sepang, Malaysia

Back to Sepang and Jordan Love got his revenge on Danial Frost by grabbing the Fuji Xerox Star Drivers Award with a stunning performance, winning five of the six races at the home of Malaysia’s Formula One track.

Malaysia’s Isyraf Danish Mohd Ghazali stole the limelight in the final round of the season by bagging the claimed Fuji Xerox Star Drivers Award on his home track in Sepang. The 15-year-old was never out of the top three, winning one race and finishing runner-up twice and third on three occasions to seal the award with 14 points.

The “Australian Lightning” was just too quick and too slick round the track, finishing the event with seven points — from five race wins and one runnerup finish.

Indonesia’s Presley Martono was three points adrift to finish second but his three race victories and one runner-up spot helped him seal the Drivers’ Championship.

Frost, who was tops in the inaugural round, was a distant second with 18 points.

09 - December

20 - January

06 - January

Event 5 Buriram, Thailand New Zealand’s Faine Kahnia claimed top prize in Thailand with two race wins and three runnerup spots to finish with 16 points, edging Singapore Danial Frost by one point. But it was Frost who was award the top spot in the first race of the weekend after Kahia, who crossed the finishing line first, was among several drivers to receive penalties. Kahnia went on to win the second race and never looked back as he claimed Fuji Xerox Star Drivers Award, a round which featured an unprecedented seven races.

Sepang International Circuit

Location: Type: Length: Direction: Corners: Sectors:

Sepang Malaysia Permanent asphalt circuit 5.543km Clockwise 15 3

The Herman Tilke-designed Sepang international Circuit first opened its doors to the world, months before the turn of the millennium. Located roughly 45km from the heart of Kuala Lumpurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bustling golden triangle, the 5.543km long track features

15 sweeping turns and 2 straights measuring up to 12 metres wide. It has been the circuit of choice for many drivers, be they professional or novice. The impressive lap record set at Sepang by Juan Pablo

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Sepang International Circuit Montoya of Williams F1 fame (1:34.233s) still stands 13 years later. Sepang Circuit is Malaysiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spiritual home of motorsports for the last 18 years and has played host to some of the world greatest racing series

including Formula 1, FIAGT3, Asia Le Man, MotoGP and others. This has spawned a slew of other racing events such as the FIA certified Formula 4 SEA Championship. Young ambitious drivers who want to

make it to the big league of Formula 1 such as Alex Yoong, Jazeman Jaafar and Rio Haryanto all got there start racing and winning at Sepang.

Formula 4 SEA

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The legacy of F1 in Malaysia In 1999 the world became acquainted with a small visionary country nestled in the South China Sea through the Herman Tilke-designed F1 ‘Super Circuit’ dubbed the Sepang International Circuit. Malaysia has had the honour and privilege of hosting Formula 1 Grand Prix here for almost two decades. In the process, kick-starting a myriad of motorsport-related industries, rejuvenating sectors of the economy and further magnetising the world to seemingly endless investment possibilities. The advent of importing the pinnacle of motorsport to Malaysian shores has created a niche within the tourism industry that continues to thrive. It as a result triggered vast development projects and an enormous

foreign exchange climate that has helped Malaysia move ever closer to the goal of becoming a high-earning developed nation. Foreign automobile manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Volvo, Volkswagen and Honda have opted to shift their regional assembly plants from surrounding regions to Malaysia to take advantage of the rapidly booming economy, attractive tax incentives and an ever growing force of skilled trained workers. This has contributed greatly as Malaysia is now the third-largest automotive industry in South East Asia, contributing roughly RM 40 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

"I would like to thank the new Formula1 CEO, Mr Chase Carey, for scheduling six races for our Formula 4 Championship at the 2017 PETRONAS Formula1 Malaysian Grand Prix. The Formula1 World Championship is a great podium to promote Malaysian engineering skills and our talented sportsmen such as Nazim Azman and Isyraf Danish. I look forward to celebrating the success of our FIA Formula 4 SEA Championship at Sepang on the 1st October."

YM Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak

Prime Minister of Malaysia 31 August 2017

Formula 4 SEA

TrackRecord - 2017 - F4 SEA Event 1

It provides employment opportunities to over 700,000 people, according to the Malaysian Automotive Institute (MAI) study conducted in 2016. Additionally around 80% of the parts and components manufacturers involved in that contribution are home grown, Malaysian-owned companies.

International Circuit and the opportunities it gave for series like the Formula 4 SEA Championship, whose objective is to develop and train young local talent in the hopes of providing them with a ladder to success within the realm of Formula racing – based in Malaysia.

Malaysia’s investment in F1 has churned up massive amounts of interest from the younger generation, eager to explore the multitude of opportunities in motor racing and they are now pursuing motorsportrelated careers such as automotive and mechanical engineering, racecar dynamics and analytics, sports journalism, event management, driver training and so on.

The prospect of F1 is what initially attracted the promoters of FIA Formula 4 SEA to Malaysia. Since 1996 they have helped seven Asian drivers including Rio Haryanto, Narain Karthikeyan, Takuma Sato and Jazeman Jaafar to test or race in Formula1.

For the past 20 years, the team behind the Formula 4 SEA Championship have been training and developing a highlyskilled Malaysian workforce, with the goal of building an ‘Asian Autosport Ecosystem’. This will ensure that the legacy of Formula 1 is developed and bolstered. That progress, can trace its roots to the worldclass Sepang

To the countless adoring motorsport fans out there, please be sure to take time our from the hustle and bustle to chronicle a small part of our national history. We urge you to show your support for this fantastic home-grown FIA-certified racing event.

Blazing a path to glory!

"We can see that the fully synthetic Blaze Racing Engine Oil had markedly reduced levels of carbonization after many laps of testing"

Sean Thompson F4 SEA Technical Director

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Blazing a path to glory! Ferrari has Shell, Honda had ENEOS, and now the Formula 4 SEA Championship is proud to call PETRON their Official Fuel and Engine Oil, and will carry PETRON's signature livery on the composite skins of the Formula 4 SEA Championship race cars for the 2017-18 season. This alliance represents the oil and gas brand's first foray into motorsport. PETRON Malaysia is part of PETRON Corporation in the Philippines, an emerging and rapidly-evolving Asian oil company. PETRON Corporation joined Malaysia's dynamic and progressive market in March 2012. PETRON subsidiaries in Malaysia are PETRON Malaysia Refining & Marketing Bhd, a public company listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad, PETRON Fuel International Sdn. Bhd., and PETRON Oil (M) Sdn. Bhd. PETRON Malaysia's downstream operations include refining, supply and delivery, and marketing of premium petroleum products under the PETRON brand. World-class products and services are marketed through an extensive network of PETRON service stations as well as through commerical and retail sales to resellers and end users. As one of the leading brands in Malaysia, PETRON is proud to be part of their customers' lives. Countless journeys are fuelled daily through PETRON's top-of-the-line fuels: Blaze 100 Euro 4M, Blaze 97 Euro 4M, Blaze 95, Turbo Diesel Euro 5, and Diesel Max available at more than 580 PETRON service stations nationwide. PETRON's Treats convenience stores provide a one-stop service experience to travellers on the road. PETRON is proud to be the preferred fuel supplier to many large corporations in the transportation, manufacturing, construction, fishing, agriculture and power generation industries. PETRON is also a parter to leading local and

international airlines serving out of KLIA and KLIA2 terminals. PETRON's LPG brand, PETRON Gasul, provides clean and efficient energy for Malaysian households, commercial, and industrial sectors. PETRON also markets an extensive range of high performance lubricants for the Malaysian market. At the heart of operations is the Port Dickson Refinery (PDR), which has a crude distillation capacity of 88,000 barrels per day. PDR produces a wide range of products including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline, aviation fuel, diesel, and low sulphur waxy residue. Production is mainly geared towards fuelling Malaysia's domestic energy demands. PDR is known for its technology capabilities, as proven in the production of the country's first and highest grade gasoline, Blaze 100 Euro 4M. Beyond its business agenda PETRON is passionate about its corporate and social responsibilities. PETRON is a strong advocate for environment preservation, safety and education. Through its volunteer programs, PETRON and its employees have championed many local causes, mostly contributing to local social development. PETRON Malaysia is dedicated and committed to bringing more innovative products and services, delivering value and more rewards to their customers as they continue to mark further milestones and achievements.

Blazing a path to glory!

Speaking of quality fuels, PETRON is possibly the only oil and gas company in the world to commercially sell and distribute 100 Octane grade fuel dubbed 'Blaze 100'. A class leader and naturally a perfect choice for the Formula 4 SEA team who rely on top quality fuels to protect the race cars’ FIA-homologated power unit. F4 SEA Operations Manager Mohd Sharli said on average the PETRONsupported cars perform more efficiently as opposed to other generic fuels. In the high-octane world of racing, every millisecond counts and that improvement helps each race driver refine their track record. Blaze 100 fuel is proven to increase engine performance and acceleration, not forgetting fuel efficiency and improved combustion. Additionally thanks to its uniquely-blended mixture of PETRON’s proprietary Tri Action Advantage formula, it not only gives drivers better mileage but helps protects the engine from ‘knocking’, a term that stands for premature detonation within the combustion cycle of the engine. It also helps keep maintenance costs low as it produces less emissions. This is because the fuel is Euro 4M compliant which translates to

exponentially lower sulphur content to the ranges of less than 50 parts per million (ppm). This in turn reduces wear on the exhausts' catalytic converter unit whose job it is to filter harmful greenhouse gases from the engine. Blaze 100 truly is PETRON's premier fuel and it works wonders for the F4 SEA Championship teams' top-spec race machines. Blaze 100 - certified Euro 4M - is not only a great fuel for racing cars but can be used by all motorists of a sporting persuasion. Proven to accomplish the needs of engineers and drivers alike, this high-quality fuel will greatly benefit all types of cars. Not just a speciality racing fuel, PETRON Blaze 100 is readily available at over 60 different service stations in Malaysia. Blaze fuel is ready to go – right out of the pump! The F4 SEA Championship cars are also utilising PETRON's line-up of lubricants, specifically the fully synthetic 'Blaze Racing Engine Oil' range. Pairing the cars up with the PETRON Blaze fuel and fully synthetic oil combo provides a more linear approach to engine care. Blaze Racing Engine Oil provides much needed lubrication against the friction caused by the thousands of intricate and fragile moving parts that make up the high-performance engine.

TrackRecord - 2017 - F4 SEA Event 1

PETRON Blaze Racing fully synthetic engine oil, formulated with Thermal Stress Stabilising System (TS3) is an exclusive technology that employs endothermic properties which keeps the lubricant stable at extreme temperatures and helps guard against engine stress. These properties are vital to the needs of a formula racing car. Hence it makes perfect sense the team's engineers and mechanics are looking forward to a great start of the season, in collaboration with PETRON Malaysia. The season flags off at the

Sepang International Circuit as part of the Finale of the Malaysian F1 GP which will take place from 29 September to 1 October. The Formula 4 SEA Championship's inaugural event will be run in conjunction with Formula 1 with six supporting races over the weekend. Be sure to catch the action at this historic event. "From our initial examinations conducted at the Collective Test 3 event at Sepang in August 2017 we can see that the fully synthetic Blaze Racing Engine Oil had markedly reduced levels of carbonization

after many laps of testing. The oil was unaffected by the extreme temperatures experienced under racing conditions. There was no indication of excessive wear and tear on vital components. Critically there was no loss in oil pressure. The upcoming event will supply us with more key data."

Sean Thompson F4 SEA Technical Director

F4 Champion 'Strolls' to F1

F4 Champion 'Strolls' to F1 Success has come quickly for Lance Stroll who is racing in his maiden Formula One season this year. The young Canadian signed for Williams after Valtteri Bottas moved to Mercedes following the unexpected retirement of world champion Nico Rosberg at the end of 2016. But just how did the 18-year-old gain his Super Licence so quickly to race in Formula One? Well, that’s no secret as Stroll cut his teeth in Formula 4 which offers drivers the chance to collect their FIA Super Licence points on this first FIA step to F1. After starting karting in 2008, Stroll competed and became FIA’s first Formula 4 winner when he bagged the 2014 Italian Championship. A year later he also competed in rhe FIA Euro F3 Series with the Italian Prema team, winning one race outright and achieving 17 top-six overall race finishes in the 33-race series driving a Dallara F312 Mercedes. He was then drafted to be part of the Ferrari Driver Academy but his talent was so obvious and it prompted Williams to lure him to their team as a test driver in November 2015. A year later, he was asked to replace Bottas. Stroll’s entry into Formula One couldn’t have been possible without his involvement in Formula 4 and this is exactly what the FIA Formula 4 Southeast Asia Championship, which enters its second season this year, hopes to achieve — giving drivers a faster route to Formula One.

F4SEA(F4): Tell us about your junior and F4 career? Lance Stroll(LS): I was the F4 Champion in my country. I drove under the Canadian flag and became the Italian F4 champion in 2014. I was also the Toyota Racing Series champion in 2015 and the 2016 FIA European Formula 3 champion. But I have never driven in Asia yet whether younger formulae or F1. F1 in Singapore is on my programme this year. It looks like a difficult track and it is interesting: a city track with walls. It’s long and technical. Even especially longer in F4. I think F4 is a good formula as it gives you the opportunity to race in a single seater at a young age.

F4: What was your favourite track in F4? Where did you feel more comfortable? LS: Well I suppose Imola as I was competing in the F4 championship based in Italy. F4: To be a young driver on a new track - how does it work to learn and be competitive? LS: I just take it as it comes. I push as hard as I can. I enjoy the track and look forward to the weekend. And on top, it is important not be upset if it does not work, Just understand what to do to improve your skills. It is important not to crack under pressure and to swiftly adapt your knowledge.

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F4: To be a young driver on a new track - how does it work to learn and be competitive? LS: I just take it as it comes. I push as hard as I can. I enjoy the track and look forward to the weekend. And on top, it is important not be upset if it does not work, Just understand what to do to improve your skills. It is important not to crack under pressure and to swiftly adapt your knowledge. F4: What is your favourite track after eight F1 GPs? LS: Monaco. I liked the experience. It is quite challenging and interesting to drive. F4: What is your favourite track after eight F1 GPs? LS: Monaco. I liked the experience. It is quite challenging and interesting to drive. F4: Looking back, how was your first F1 Grand Prix at the start of the season?

F4 is a good formula as it gives you the opportunity to race in a single seater at a young age. F4: What is your best memory of F4? LS: Winning the F4 championship. F4: What was your best memory and what do you take away from your first qualifying (in Melbourne)? LS: The day started off tough and it was hard to recoup from that. What happened in FP3 was a little tough and it led to a lot of things. The qualifying session was in a rush and we didn't get to do what we had planned. However, the team did a great job to get me out in qualifying so a big thank you to them. Overall, our pace was much better than what we showed, and in FP2 we were over half a second quicker than in qualifying.

LS: I remember I was really excited for Melbourne. My first Grand Prix. For me it was a new track of course and I had never travelled to Australia. I was just really looking forward to it all and very excited to get started. I could not wait. I have driven the track in the simulator and I have seen some videos, and on boards. It looked quite tricky. Even though it was a new track for me it's a different track also. It's kind of a road course, so the track really changes a lot throughout the weekend, so that was a good challenge. F4: What will you tell future young drivers? What advice would you give him or her? LS: It is important to be honest with yourself and not to find excuses to hide the situation behind the reality. No excuses and it is important to understand to progress and make effort and you have to have the right people around you. The engineers must be a coach. In F4, for instance, the engineer is the coach. You have to absorb everything he says. He is the one who can help you become a driver. You have to listen to him and absorb his words and knowledge like a sponge.

Driving the future!

"I've a passion for motorsport and enjoy using my business skills to help create professional careers in the sport. Malaysia has great sporting ambassadors but we need an ongoing programme to support talent development"

Ever since the young Kelantanese lad was little, he has always been magnetized toward the four-wheeled persuasion. Nik Iruwan picked up not only a lust but rather an undying love for all things cars and above all else – motorsports. A trait he inherited from his father. Iruwan’s goals have always been selfless and are manifested by his burning desire to help construct and grow a sustainable motorsport-based

ecosystem here in Malaysia. He wants to grow and cultivate young talents in Malaysia and in the region. Nik began his fruitful career in motorsports at the age of 9, when he entered the world of karting back in 1995 - where he enjoyed much success. He subsequently received the Karter of the Year Award by Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM). He was later talent spotted and drafted into the prestigious BMW Motorsport

Scholarship programme which allowed him to compete in Formula BMW Asia. However, it was back to ‘school’ when he moved to Europe, and was again granted a scholarship to the prestigious racing academy - La Filiere Racing School in Le Mans, France. The youth competed fiercely against stiff competition, placing valiantly in 10th position for the Formula Campus Renault Elf single seater race. Inching closer and closer to his ultimate ambition of piloting a full blown Formula 1 car, Iruwan found himself in the hot seat of a monstrous 550hp A1GP track weapon - testing for none other than Team Malaysia alongside local aces Alex Yoong and Fairuz Fauzy. This tremendous experience proved invaluable when he embarked on the next leg of his journey. Nik Iruwan went on to compete in the British-based Formula Palmer Audi Series founded by former F1 racer and legend Jonathan Palmer. However the blossoming racing driver took a lengthy hiatus from the sport

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in 2007, spending the next decade working the family business as they ventured into the world of retailing high-end autos. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Aston Martins are among the multitude of cars retailed at Hamza Motors premier showroom along Jalan Ampang’s Embassy Row. The combination of high-flying opulent motors coupled up with the snazzy locale, makes it an ideal one-stop destination for the who's who of Kuala Lumpur to go motor shopping. Don’t believe us? Check out his Instagram feed @nikiruwan. Apart from the automotive alignment that grips Iruwan, he is very attentive to the building and formation of sectors in the economy that were either slow or non-existent. Under the banner of the Nizra Group of Companies, Iruwan established factories dealing with Halal-certified food and beverage manufacturing, in order to boost the local economy and thus creating employment opportunities. These products are subsequently exported to countries in South East Asia, Western Asia and China. Despite his enterprising aptitude, Nik Iruwan has never forgotten his roots in his path to success. One such person is Peter Thompson, Chairman of Asian Autosport Action Group and founder of the championship-winning race providers - Meritus GP. Nik has expressed much admiration for the Irishman saying that he truly looks up

to Peter, and wishes to emulate his accomplishments, ingenuity and above all, humility. It was Peter who guided Nik to always pursue his dreams. During Formula 4 SEA’s third collective test held this August, Nik impressed everyone when he strapped in for the first time in almost 10 years and consistently beat lap times - the hallmark of a good driver. Iruwan believes F4 SEA’s open data policy is a brilliant strategy which promotes closer racing among the young rookies. The championship, he says, is not only a level playing field but one that is truly driver-oriented. Additionally, One Data, One Make, One Team and One Cost make F4 SEA one of the best formula racing platforms in the world, in which drivers are eligible to collect FIA F1 Super License Points. These Super License Points allow the drivers to progress up the ladder and climb the FIA pyramid in their journey to Formula 1. Nik went to narrate further on the merits of the Asian Autosport Ecosystem, that’s hosts the F4 SEA Championship and how it’s not only truly inspiring, but also a great approach to nurturing and developing the young talents of Malaysia, South East Asia and beyond. In his view, with assistance, tactical financial aid and further support from the government in collaboration with all parties involved, he’s confident that the Malaysian-based F4 SEA

Championship will be afforded the opportunity to flourish greatly. In conclusion then, with anticipation for the upcoming Finale of the Malaysian F1 GP here at Sepang International Circuit, where we will be seeing these boy wonders take to the asphalt and battle it out for supremacy and glory. Be sure to catch Formula 4 SEA Championships maiden six-race event as the support race for Formula 1 this 29th September to 1st October.

International Motorsport Heroes

Creating International Motorsport Heroes MERITUS’ winning culture When you think of successful motorsports teams in Asia, one name immediately springs to mind — MERITUS.GP and the GP stands for 'Great Professionals'. The Malaysian motorsport team have stood out with their numerous successes for more than 20 years and have had a hand in helping seven drivers reach the pinnacle that is Formula One: Narain Karthikeyan, Takuma Sato, Rio Haryanto, Alexander Rossi, Luca Filippi, Alex Yoong and Jazeman Jaafar “At MERITUS.GP our motto is ‘Creating International Motorsport Heroes’. That’s just what we have done,” said founder Peter Thompson, an Irishman who has called Malaysia home since 1996. “Over the years we have developed many great champions, seven of whom have gone on to be part of F1 — either racing or as nominated test drivers. “We are delighted to have helped them in some way. More importantly, this success profiles and promotes Asian motorsport as a serious and credible career option.” Of the septet, Karthikeyan (Jordan), Sato (Honda), Haryanto (Manor), and Rossi (Caterham), competed in Formula One Grand Prix. Thompson was quick to add MERITUS has also helped produced winners and champions across an array of championships including GP2, two 24 Hour LeMans winners, Asian GT’s and two Indy 500 winners.

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"We are delighted to have helped them in some way. More importantly, this success profiles and promotes Asian motorsport as a serious and credible career option."

Peter Thompson F4 SEA Chairman & CEO

One of the original graduates of the MERITUS 'academy' is Karthikeyan, who became the first Indian driver to earn a seat in Formula One in 2005. Karthikeyan who competed and won the Formula Asia International Series crown for MERITUS in 1996, drove for Jordan in 2005 before testing for teams such as Jaguar, Minardi and Williams, where he was their reserve driver. While waiting for his next F1 drive, Karthikeyan competed in A1 Grand Prix, claiming two victories for India.

Sato, who helped MERITUS win the Macau Grand Prix, signed for Jordan in 2002 after a year of testing for Honda. In 2003, he returned to Honda in what was a hugely successful stint which included a podium finish at the 2004 United States Grand Prix. He finished third behind Ferrari duo Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher and placed eighth in that season’s Drivers’ Championship with 34 points.

He also raced in Le Mans, NASCAR, Auto GP and Super Formula before returning to the F1 grid with Hispania Racing Team in 2011 and 2012.

It was his best result in motorsport until his fantastic drive in this year’s Indy 500 where he upstaged Fernando Alonso’s debut by winning the United States’ most popular motorsports event.

While Karthikeyan has a longer history with MERITUS, it was Japanese driver Sato who got into Formula One ahead.

Sato’s Indy 500 victory came a year after MERITUS’ former GP2 driver Rossi won the 100th Indy 500.

International Motorsport Heroes

Rossi’s stunning victory in his rookie year vindicated the American’s decision to turn his back on Formula One despite being offered a drive with Manor after a stint with Caterham. “To have two of our former drivers winning back-to-back Indy 500 races is simply unbelievable,” said a beaming Thompson.

The 2009 Formula BMW Pacific champion is only 24 and has many years of racing ahead of him. Another potential driver who could make the grade to Formula One is Malaysia’s Jazeman Jaafar, who won the 2007 Formula BMW Asia for

Jazeman has continued making waves on the track and earlier this year was awarded for his progress at the 2016 MERITUS Awards Gala. This came following a switch from single seater to endurance car racing last season.

“As we always say at MERITUS, ‘Winning Is Business’ and our drivers and race engineers have lived up to that motto all over the world.” Another driver who used MERITUS as a stepping stone to Formula One is Haryanto, who signed for Manor last season. The Indonesian raced in 12 Grands Prix in 2016 and hopes to return to the grid next season if he can secure a sponsor.

MERITUS when he was only 14! He was invited by Mercedes to try out an F1 car at Silverstone in 2013 and two years later was offered a seat in one of the teams it supplies engines to — Force India, Lotus and Williams.

In the process, he became the first Asian to win a race in the BlancpainGT Series Endurance Cup at the Silverstone round in Britain in May last year. He also helped HTP Motorsport Team

Luca Fillipi

Alex Yoong

Earl Bamber

Indycar Driver MERITUS - GP2 diver

F1 Driver MERITUS - GP2 Asia

Two-time Le Mans winner MERITUS - GP2 Asia

Afiq Ikhwan

N. Karth

Asian Lamborghini Winner F1 D MERITUS - Lamborghini MERITUS - Form

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finish second in the overall team standings. Jazeman still harbours hopes of breaking into Formula One if he can continue his fine results. MERITUSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; GP2 drivers Filippi and

Bamber this year. Separately, another former driver Afiq Ikhwan Yazid, claimed a second straight overall title in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Series with one round to go following a rewarding weekend at the Shanghai International

In a nutshell, MERITUS has proven Asia can be a springboard for a driver to reach the very top of motorsports as in over 20 years, its drivers have won two Indy 500 crowns, two Le mans 24-hour races, seven GT Asia championships, eight Formula BMW titles and two Formula V6 series among others. MERITUS, truly Asian and Great Professionals.

Bamber have won many accolades with Bamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highlight being winning the Le Mans 24-hour race in 2015 and this year. Former MERITUS driver, Ho-ping Tung and his team finished second to

Circuit in China. During his Formula cars days Afiq had more than 40 wins, over 75 podiums finishes, 27 pole positions and 34 fastest race laps.

hikeyan Alexander Rossi Takuma Sato Jazeman Jaafar Rio Haryanto

Driver mula Asia 2000

F1 Driver MERITUS - GP2 Asia

F1 Driver MERITUS - Macau GP

F1 Test Driver MERITUS - Formula BMW

F1 Driver MERITUS - Formula BMW

2017 Entry list

Danial Frost

Singapore

Daniel CAO

China

Eshan Pieris

Sri Lanka

Harrison

United Kingdom

Isyraf Danish

Malaysia

Kane Sheperd

Thailand

Khalid al Wahaibi

Oman

Luke Thompson

Ireland

Nayan Chatterjee India

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Nazim Azman Malaysia

Perdana Minang Indonesia

Shivin Sirinarinthon Thailand

Tyson Sy Philippines

TBA

Drivers Bio

66 Danial Frost DOB: 18th October, 2001 Nat: Singapore Height: 170cm Weight: 58.7kg Blood: ... I started karting in December 2014 in Singapore. We were going karting with my dad who is in the marine Industry. At first I was competing in ‘fun races’ with my dad, but then it got serious and more competitive. As I was winning and getting better results, I started to get more interested.”

55 Daniel CAO DOB: 6th December 2001 Nat: China Height: 174cm Weight: 68kg Blood: O+ Hailing from the People’s Republic of China, Daniel Zhao Cao as he is known in his hometown of Shanghai. The 16 year old racer has always been fascinated by the love of speed all things fast since the very beginning.

Danial adds, “I finished second in my first ever go-kart race and of course I was very happy. Later on I went to race in Malaysia with a Singapore karting team, though it did not go so well but I continued karting and then one day, the topic of the AsiaCup Series came up.”

By the age of 11, while all of his peers were stuck behind desk, doing their homework, the youngster was out busy racing Karts. Daniel first started off his racing debut in the hot seat of a Rotax 125cc powered Kart. Daniel is entranced by big ultra-modern tracks such as Shanghai and Sepang.

On top of his experience with the AsiaCup Series, Danial has also spent some time in a simulator. “It feels good to learn how to better deal with the car, particularly the speed and balance; it will help me improve my racing,” notes Danial.

However in his spare time, he does enjoy a game of football from time to time, but his true love and passion will always be racing and aspires to take to the starting grid of a Formula 1 race in the future under the colors of the Chinese flag.

Competing in the 2016 Formula 4 SEA Championship was another milestone for the young Singaporean. From finishing as Event Champion in the first event, he went on to visit the podium on many occasions during the season and he is excited to return to Malaysia for the finale of the F1 Grand Prix.

But in the meantime, the youth is at presently finishing school in Shanghai and is planning on attending college in Newbury, located to the west of London, UK.

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Eshan Pieris

Harrison

DOB: 25th June, 1998 Nat: Sri Lanka Height: 180cm Weight: 65kg Blood: O+ He comes from a famous sporting family yet Eshan Pieris is not taking anything for granted as he looks forward to this season’s FIA Formula 4 Southeast Asia Championship. The 19-year-old has much to live up to as his father, David, is a motorsport legend on and off the track. “I got my love of racing from my dad, even though I was too young to see him drive. I’ve heard how successful he was on the track and all I ever wanted to do was drive. With his blessing, I started my racing career in 2013.” There has been no looking back for the Colombo native who gave up badminton to devote his time into making it big in motorsport. “Badminton was something I dabbled in early on but once I began driving, I had to give it up,” said Eshan, whose first lesson behind the wheel was in his family’s Land Rover Defender. Once he mastered the beast, he knew there was nothing he couldn’t handle and that was when David gave him the green light to be a race car driver. Such is his devotion to his craft, Eshan hardly has time for anything else! His hero is Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel.

Drivers Bio

Isyraf Danish

Kane Shepherd

DOB: 19th February, 2001 Nat: Malaysia Height: 170cm Weight: 50kg Blood: ...

DOB: ... Nat: Thailand Height: 181cm Weight: 64kg Blood: ...

The youngest of three siblings, Isyraf shares his love of motorsport with his father. And that love was enough to pave Isyraf’s path into the sport - albeit virtually with the video-game version - before eventually transitioning to racing go-karts in 2015.

Kane has been karting successfully for the last six years, winning national and international events around Asia.

Unlike his compatriots who are perhaps more seasoned, Isyraf is undeterred and is already adamant about his career path as he explains “I want to focus on being like my hero Sebastian Vettel.” Isyraf admires how Sebastian earned four straight world championship crowns and many Formula One records and became the youngest pole-sitter, winner and champion in F1 history, pointing out that the German started his career while still a teenager, having taken up karting in 1995 at a local kart track in his native village of Heppenheim. Isyraf’s dream is that “I may have the same luck and smooth path to F1 as Sebastian.” The birth of the F4/SEA comes at the right time for Isyraf who is committed to familiarising himself with the F4 cars and intensifying his training.

In 2016 Kane won the Thailand Rotax Max Senior Championship which earned him a scholarship of two free test days in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship. Event 5 of the 2016 Formula 4 South East Asia Championship in Buriram Thailand was Kane’s first ever formula race, and his chosen lucky race number was 34. 2016 was a learning curve for the young rookie and we are delighted to welcome him back to contest the Formula 4 SEA 2017 championship.

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8 Khalid al Wahaibi DOB: ... Nat: Oman Height: 178cm Weight: 64kg Blood: B+ From Muscat, Oman, Khalid races under his lucky number, 8. With karting experience in the Rotax Max Challenge, he joined Formula 4 SEA 2016 at Event 2 in the Philippines where he qualified on pole for race 6 in his formula car debut. Unfortunately the race was subsequently cancelled due to Typhoon Karen, but Khalid will have the chance to catch up with seven races at Event 5 in Buriram. Khalid showed well in Sepang at Event 4 and his comments on the challenging track were: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Compared to Sentul (Indonesia) and Clark (Philippines) I really like the Sepang Circuit. It has a lot of fast flowing corners. Every corner almost has a straight after it and you need to maintain a good pace on the exits, otherwise you can lose a lot of time. I really like the characteristics of the track and my favourite corners have to be the sweeping flat-out Turns 5 and 6.â&#x20AC;?

42 Luke Thompson DOB: 7th July, 1998 Nat: Ireland Height: ... Weight: 65kg Blood: O+ Being born into a family with a long motor racing heritage has certainly had an effect on Luke who has grown up with a great understanding of the sport. Although he has always had a passion for karting and racing, he has invariably expressed his love for the outdoors enjoying pursuits such as mountain biking and cycling. The Irish youth is a fan of the Fulham-based football club, Chelsea. Having just finished his A-Levels, the youngster is looking to take up a Degree in International Business, much to the delight of his entrepreneur father who looks forward to the day when Luke will join him in the family business. Luke not only competes in karting events but also coaches young karters at events all over Asia. Having previously done some F4 testing, this weekend will be Luke's first major F4 event.

Drivers Bio

72 Nayan Chatterjee DOB: 22nd October, 1997 Nat: India Height: 182cm Weight: 76kg Blood: B+ The oldest in the family, Nayan was the initially introduced to the world of high-octane motorsport action from a young age by his mother who introduced him to karting. During his karting years the young Mumbai-native always looked up to prominent figures in the sport such as Italian-born pedigree champion Marco Ardigò. Apart from that, Nayan has idolized the likes of former world-champion Fernando Alonso. Emulating their world touring success, the teen commented on how much he thoroughly enjoyed racing the Italian ROK International Finals 2016 held in the northern Italian city of Lonato. When asked about his upcoming opportunity to participate at the first event of the 2017 Formula 4 SEA Championship supporting the Finale of the Malaysian GP; the teen was barely able to express his jubilation about racing on the same asphalt as the titans of motorsport. The F1-keen Nayan has completed several test days in preparation for his assault on the F4 SEA championship and we wish him great success.

17 Nazim Azman DOB: 17th August, 2001 Nat: Malaysia Height: 155cm Weight: 44kg Blood: ... A native and resident of the capital city of Malaysia, Nazim Azman comes from a family of four brothers. His mother is a writer. Asked where his desire for racing came from, Nazim is quick to reply “that’s easy. My dad!” Growing up, Nazim quickly inherited his businessman father’s keen interest in racing in almost any form. He comes to the race track with his AirWheel in tow, manoeuvring the one-wheel scooter with the dexterity of a wizard. For Nazim, it all started in 2011 when he began go-karting, convincing his family that he was ready to compete the following year. Still excited with the memory of his first race, Nazim recalls, “I was second at one point in that race but then I had a crash and only managed to finish eighth. It was a pity, but overall since I started I have learned a lot.” That was evident when he notched several podium finishes in his debut season in the AsiaCup Series in 2015.

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88 Perdana Minang DOB: 23rd March, 2001 Nat: Indonesia Height: 175cm Weight: 65kg Blood: A+ The son of Jakarta is but a rising star destined for greatness and F4 is nothing if not the start of that. Although he had never driven a formula car before he cam to Sepang in August of 2017, the young Perdana was quite the show stopper! In his debut testing session, the First Son of Minang displayed an extraordinary level of driving prowess and above all else, consistency – the hallmark of a good racing driver. With an incremental munching of numbers on the track, he managed to swallow up over 7 seconds. In the end, he was only six tenths off the fastest driver that session. An incredible display of talent, and for sure a real contender in this season’s Championship, Perdana is definitely one rising star to keep an eye on. No doubt he will be bringing the heat to this competition in hopes of becoming the next Rio Haryanto. Only time will tell how bright he will shine.

9 Shivin Sirinarinthon DOB: 8th July, 2000 Nat: India Height: 180cm Weight: 73kg Blood: O+ The youngest in the family with an older brother, Shivin is the type of lad that was hooked on driving and racing for that matter at a very tender age. One of his most endearing memories of racing was being driven around in a two-seater type 100cc 4stroke ‘kart’. Ever since then the 17 year old was hooked on speed. The Bangkok native states that the love of cars and fascination of speed was inherited from the generations that proceeded him. His great grandfather and grandfather were severe petrol heads, and that was evident by their love for American Muscle cars. They admired marques such as the legendary Ford Mustang. While Shivin’s father is more inclined towards the intricate craftsmanship of Maranello and Fiorano as opposed to the brute force pig iron of Michigan’s finest, the youngster has a taste for the formula racing persuasion. It helps greatly when your peers are big into motorsport. With his maiden appearance in the F4 SEA Championship at Sepang, the future is certainly bright for this rising star, native of the Land of Smiles.

Drivers Bio

68 Tyson Sy DOB: 5th October, 1987 Nat: Philippines Height: 165cm Weight: 61kg Blood: B Tyson aspires to many things and is set on accomplishing them. The talented racer from Manila has over 16 years of experience under his belt. Tyson has been busy lately as he is also venturing out into politics and is possibly running for public office. As the youngest of four siblings, Tyson certainly does put out a great example for his brothers. He is also employedd as a driving Instructor at the Tuason Racing School located in Paranaque City. His drive comes from mainly from his father, who was responsible for getting the youth in involved in Karting from a very early age. Having a substantial age gap over his peers, Tyson feels that there is much that he can teach to his younger team mates. After all experience is one of the most valuable assets in any sport. Having said that, he is very much looking forward to taking his place on the starting grid. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no secret here. Tyson is out for gold and only time will tell of his success.

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2017 F4 SEA Calendar

2017 F4SEA Calendar

September

October

November

Event 1

Event 2

Event 3

Sepang, Malaysia

Clark, Philippines

Sentul, Indonesia

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After the dusts settles in Sepang following the opening event of the 2017 Formula 4 SEA championship, the team will load up and ship out to the following event while giving the drivers a breather between races. Event 2 marks the calendar from 20-22 October. The Clark International Speedway in the Philippines is home to a myriad of local motorsport events such as the Philippine GT Championship and the FlatOut Race Series. Formula 4 SEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tour of duty will see drivers battling it out on the highly technical, counter clockwise FIA-grade 4 course, which spans 4.189km. Indonesiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equally challenging 3.965 km Sentul International Circuit will host Event 3 from 24-26 November. We hope to see more Indonesian drivers such as Keanon Santoso and our 2016 F4 SEA champion, Presley Martono. In the new year, from 12-14 January the team will travel to the Herman Tilke-designed Buriram United International Circuit, before heading back to the Sepang International Circuit for the season finale from 8-10 February.

January

February

Event 4

Event 5

Buriram, Thailand

Sepang, Malaysia

February