Exhilarating motorsport action came upon Clark International Speedway in Pampanga this past weekend for the opening leg of the 2023 Tuason Racing — Formula V1 Challenge series. Now in its fifth installment, this revered circuit championship held true to its reputation for not only enhancing the sport in the Philippines, but also delivering a riveting spectacle for motorsport enthusiasts.

The Formula V1 car is a single-seater race car powered with a 110 horsepower Toyota 1NZ motor that was used in several generations of the Toyota Vios, with a chassis based on the West Racing Cars VITA-01 developed in Japan.

With an impressive roster of past winners like Luis Gono (2018), Estefano Rivera (2019), Daniel Miranda (2021) and Milo Rivera (2022), the 2023 season had a roaring start, featuring seasoned competitors and some new talents vying for this year's title.

Making waves in the PRO Class were promising young talent Inigo Anton of Obengers Racing — Toyota Balintawak, 2021 AM Class Champion Joaquin Garrido from OTR — Obengers Racing, and Vita Japan champion Kazuki Takemura representing Frontrow — Autoplus.

Meanwhile, in the AM class, a bevy of skilled racers including Rainy Medina of Autoholic Raceform, Oliver Aquino of OTR Racing Team, Dondi San Jose of MOHS Racing, Paolo Ayo of Edgesport Racing, and Francisco Adriano of RibbonArc Motorsport, among others, provided fierce competition. Unpredictable weather and track conditions only added to the drama.

Race 1 began with a thrilling duel between Anton and Garrido. The two started the race in pole and second position respectively, creating a season-long rivalry right from the start. Garrido outpaced Anton in the first lap, but the race reached a fever pitch as they continuously vied for the lead. The tides turned when Anton overtook Garrido and the race was cut short on the 5th lap due to heavy rain, handing Anton a victory with a slim lead of 0.85 seconds over Garrido. The AM Class witnessed a similar head-to-head battle between Medina and Aquino, with Medina eventually triumphing and Edgesport Racing's Paolo Ayo claiming the third podium spot.

Race 2 started with everyone's eyes on the brewing rivalry between Anton and Garrido. The entry of Japanese ace Kazuki Takemura in this race added an intriguing dimension. Garrido's championship bid was cut short due to a suspension failure after a contact with Anton, which allowed Takemura to claim the second position while Anton savored his second consecutive victory. In the AM Class, Medina once again secured a victory over Aquino, with Ayo rounding off the top three.

Race 3 saw Anton and Medina each having won the first two races in their respective classes, thereby piling pressure on their rivals to prevent a clean sweep. Garrido in the PRO Class and Aquino in the AM Class rose to the occasion with spectacular performances.

The highlight of the day was a thrilling three-way battle between Anton, Garrido and Takemura. Despite facing several obstacles, Garrido fought his way back into contention and on the final lap, he secured a remarkable victory over Anton by a margin of 0.274 seconds, with Takemura finishing third. In the AM Class, Aquino managed to edge out Medina, with third place going to Dondi San Jose of MOHS Racing.

Following the thrilling kickoff weekend, the competitors are now focused on the forthcoming second leg at the Clark International Speedway. The dates are yet to be announced, but the anticipation is high as the rivalries intensify and the championship dreams continue.