After a learning year in the Formula V1 (FV1) Challenge in 2024, Ethan Ong is now ready to fight for the #1 spot on his return. The 16-year-old narrowly missed his goal by just one position during the season opener at the Clark International Speedway (CIS), setting the stage for an action-packed season ahead.
The Ethanworx Motorsports driver spent several days to testing to ensure his machinery was in top shape before the race weekend. This was to prevent the technical woes from last year, which had hampered his results, from affecting his title hopes in 2025.
With several new upgrades, Ethan’s #75 FV1 entry was now running closer to peak performance. However, the team admits more work is needed to reach 100%, which they aim to resolve in time for the next event. For now, they focused on optimizing the car’s setup to mitigate Ethan’s disadvantage on the track.
Their hard work paid off during Qualifying, with Ethan setting the 2nd fastest time of the session.
A lightning-quick start from the front row allowed him to challenge for the lead as the lights turned green on Sunday. But he also had his mirrors full as a train of cars tried desperately to find a way past. Successfully avoiding contact and maintaining position, things eventually settled down on lap 2 with Ethan trailing leader Jesse Garcia.
Though down on power, he pushed hard to keep up in the opening stages of the race. Despite his efforts, he simply couldn’t catch Jesse down CIS’ long straights.
Still, he kept his focus to secure 2nd place, crossing the line 21.118 sec ahead of 3rd.
Ethanworx Motorsports now has a month to resolve Ethan’s engine issues before the FV1 Challenge resumes on April 12-13 at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC).
Ethan Ong: “The result this weekend was good, but I’m aiming to be in that top spot. There are still many things to improve in with both me and the car. The team is still in the process of developing the car, so I hope that next race we’ll see a better performance when these changes have settled.”
Ethan Ong is sponsored by Modesta Premium Glass Coatings, Autozkin Paint Protection, Repsol Philippines, ASR, Tagaytay Viewpark Hotel, Viewscape Nature Park, Siglo Modern Filipino, and Spaghetti Factory.
For more info and updates, Like the Ethanworx Motorsports page on Facebook and follow @ethan.ong.racing on Instagram.
[Photos by Matt Romualdez Photography]
