Smith makes history at F1 Circuit

MANILA, Philippines - Sean  “Rockrapidz” Smith recently became the first and youngest Filipino ever to test a single-seat Formula Masters at an International F1 Circuit.

The 15-year-old Smith, who can be followed @rockrapidz, was invited recently by the Eurasia Motorsports, renowned for developing young race drivers, including Red Bull F1 GP race winner Daniel Ricciardo and Marlon Stockinger, to test the Formula Master (Volkswagen) single-seat, 185bhp-racecar that can go more than 220kph in a F1 International Circuit.

“We can spot a rising talent when we see one. Sean demonstrated he has the potential to go a long way in motorsports over his two days of testing at the Sepang F1 circuit in Malaysia. He had to learn the circuit and drive a Formula car for the first time while coping with other more experienced drivers on the circuit at the same time. He ended the test by posting an extremely fast lap time for a novice making a great impression,” said team principal, Mark Goddard, a multi-race winner in Asia F2000 and Formula Toyota.

The Fil-British Smith, last year’s Karting Rookie of the Year, struggled at the first session with the clutch and hardly left the pit, but after two sessions, he was a natural and adapted quickly to the car.

“I enjoyed every session and each time I learned something new.  I drove different cars and got the same result. The car requires minimal set up and it’s more of the skill of the driver. It is always great to join a race where the skill of the driver takes precedence over technical and financial aspects. The training program developed for me by Functional Fitness (formerly Sky Fitness) has helped me a lot in building my overall body strength to cope with the G-forces and physical input required for driving a fast car,” said Smith, adding “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Phi 4:13).”

After his testing, Smith got the thumbs-up from the elite scouts watching.

“Sean impressed us not only with his natural speed but also with his attitude and application. If he continues to develop as he did on his first test then he has the potential to go all the way to the top,” said Greg Wheeler, technical director (former F1 engineer for Minardi, Arrows and Williams working with Ralf Schumacher and Jos Verstappen).

“Sean showed a lot of maturity and confidence for his age and when I heard his real age it shocked me. No doubt Sean has a lot of potential for the future and I look forward to seeing him develop,” said Richard Bradley, Eurasia Motorsport driver/coach and World Endurance Championship driver and race winner.