It was an impressive weekend for Jacob Ravina when he entered Round 2 of the Rotax Max Challenge Thailand and Rotax Max Challenge Asia Trophy last May 2/3. The young Filipino went on to secure an overall Micro Max podium while taking victory in the Micro Max Rookie class at the Bira Kart Circuit in Pattaya.
Jacob began karting at just 4 years old in Bambino karts and steadily built his experience through the T4 Series Pilipinas. He collected multiple wins and podiums before stepping up to Cadets in 2025, where he finished 4th in the championship. Before the year ended, Ravina also made his first overseas appearance during the season ending round of Rok Cup Thailand, finishing 6th out of 16 entries in the Rookies Rok category.
Driving for Mercedes Driver Development, Jacob and his team decided to expand his 2026 campaign regionally to gain experience in larger grids and different circuits across Asia. The event marked his first race weekend of the year and also his first time competing in Rotax machinery.
To prepare for the transition, Jacob spent a month training locally alongside fellow Mercedes Driver Development driver and COTFA race winner Axel Nocom. The weekend, however, still presented several challenges for the young Filipino. Jacob admitted he was unfamiliar with the layout used during the event, while many of the local Thai competitors already knew the circuit by heart.
Despite the challenges, Jacob steadily improved throughout the weekend. He initially found himself just outside the Top 10 during Official Practice in a 17 kart field before turning things around in Qualifying with a fast and clean lap that placed him P8 on the grid, just 0.306 secs off pole.
Jacob immediately showed strong race pace in Heat 1 after climbing to P5 by the end of the opening lap. While battling for P4, contact with another driver dropped him down the order, but recovered to still finish 5th.
In Heat 2, Jacob once again got off to a strong start and settled into P6 before capitalizing on opportunities late in the race to finish 4th.
His combined results placed him P4 on the grid for the Super Heat, where Jacob made another quick getaway and moved into P3 as the leading four drivers broke away from the rest of the field. As the race progressed, he began reeling in the front runners and entered the fight for the lead with just two laps remaining. Jacob briefly took over the top spot before being shuffled back in the closing stages, eventually crossing the line in 4th just 0.173 secs behind 3rd.
Now starting P4 in the Final, Jacob focused on keeping it clean through the opening laps while engaging in a lengthy battle for P3 against Thailand’s Michael Bishev. Their fight allowed the top two drivers to pull away, but once Jacob secured the final podium position, he maintained the gap and brought home a memorable 3rd place finish overall in Micro Max and 1st in the Micro Max Rookie.
Jacob Ravina: “I’m really happy to finish on the podium because it made all the hard work and sacrifices worth it. Racing in Thailand was a big challenge because the grids were much bigger and the competition was very tough. I learned how to react faster at the start, become more confident when overtaking, and adapt to driving a Rotax kart for the first time. Every session helped me improve and become a better driver.”
Jacob Ravina is sponsored by Four30 Gastropub, DJ Vending PH, Dz Racing, Ortigas Land, MVP Sports Foundation, Inc., Mercedes Driver Development, and Axel Motorsports Gruppe.
For more info and updates, follow JACOB R67 Racing on Facebook and @jacob_ravina67 on Instagram.
