After consistently finishing within the Top 2 all weekend, Ryan Sy couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed when he ended up 5th in the Finals at the RMC International Trophy Asia. In hindsight, it was an impressive debut for the 15-year-old on his first official outing as a Senior Class karter.
Ryan kicked off his 2025 campaign at the Bira International Karting Circuit in Thailand, teaming up with Kidix Asia Academy. Aside from getting into grips the heavier yet faster karts, the Filipino also had to deal with much tougher competition.
“Even they see a slight opening, they’ll either send it on the inside or outside depending on how brave they are,” he commented. “It was really difficult to fight for position on track.”
Add to that the fact that he was up against 50+ karters which included Asian and European champions who were vying for a ticket to the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals.
But it really didn’t show in Ryan’s performance.
Putting all his worries behind him, he immediately went on attack mode in Heat 1. Ryan moved up to P2 on the run to the first corner and held position. He then kept the race leader within reach until the chequered flag dropped to secure a solid 2nd place just behind Japanese karter Tomoki Terashima. It was a similar story in Heat 2, but this time Ryan was able to get much closer to the lead. However, due to his inexperience, he couldn’t find a way past and settled for 2nd yet again.
A full day of racing meant that Ryan now had to conserve his tires in Heat 3, forcing him and his team to change both setup and strategy. This prevented him from challenging for the lead as he had to make sure he got to the finish. It became a 10-lap balancing act between managing tire wear and maintaining track position. He eventually succeeded to keep RMC Grand Finals champion Armand Hamilton, Hayato Miyamoto, and multiple-time Thai champion Toby Gale at bay to secure another 2nd place across the line.
Ryan’s string of 2nd place finishes eventually earned him pole position for Super Heat B on Sunday. Finally it was his chance to shine. Driving the #341 KR2 kart, he lead from the start all the way to the chequered flag. Never did his position came under threat as he secured his first ever Senior Class win with a commanding 4.887 secs lead.
His flawless performance then gave him full confidence heading into the all-important Finals. But despite a front row start, Ryan slid back to P4 by the end of the lap 1 and gradually lost ground to the lead pack. It soon became evident that he was down on power and had to pull out all the stops just to keep a hard-charging local GT3 driver Ananthorn Tangniannatchai behind. What should have been a fight for victory turned into a fight for survival, eventually leaving Ryan in 5th place at the finish.
Although a technical issue robbed him of a dream result in the Finals, Ryan clearly proved that he deserved his spot amongst the top-running Senior Class karters. His performance at Bira not only put the Philippines back on the map, but also gained the attention and respect of his competitors and some top teams. It’s only a matter of time until we see him on the podium in 2025.
Ryan Sy: “It was really unfortunate to miss out on a podium given my pace this weekend. However, 5th in my first Senior race in a grid full of some of the best drivers in Asia is still a really good result. Looking forward to the rest of the year as we have more races in the region planned out with some races in Europe. Our ultimate goal is to learn by competing in strong grids and work our way to the front.”
Ryan Sy is supported by KR Global Motor Sport, KidiX Driver Performance, KidiX Asia Academy, PCRC, Domuschola International School, MAX888, and WrapTech.
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