Tyson Sy: About A Boy

Tyson Sy is seriously quick. At 16, the quiet, unassuming young man has both the tenacity and skill to win in open-wheel car racing — which he does with frequency. In the car, on the track, he is clearly in his element. Mature, confident, in total control. At his age, he can already count on the necessary training and experience. Apparently, he also has the fiscal resources to prop him up. Plus, he is gifted with a race driver’s physique — he is tiny, both in height and girth. As such, and no PR crap this is, Tyson Sy is presently the country’s most serious hope for a Filipino driver to land on a Formula One grid.

Born on October 5, 1987, Tyson Kristian Rome Tiu Sy started racing in the Cadet division in karting at age 11, which is relatively late if we consider the fact Michael Schumacher first drove karts at the ripe old age of five. But Tyson made up for lost time, because on his sophomre year he placed third in the Shell Cadet Series. Soon afterward, Tyson proved to be a consistent podium finisher, thereby emerging as champion in the 2000 Shell Cadet 60 Series, the 2001 Shell Cadet 85 Series and 2001 Shell Shell Junior KT class. In 2002, he finished third in the fiercely competitive Intercon A-ICS group. So at 15, Tyson has become one of the country’s brightest stars in kart racing.

Now what’s the next rung in the motorsport ladder that awaits most kart racers? Open-wheel formula racing, of course, which is exactly where Tyson has stepped up to.

In 2003, Tyson signed up for the Formula BMW Asia Series, which can be considered as his first taste of octane-charged racetrack battles with the big boys. At season’s end, he took the second overall spot, beating racers from around the region. Though not crowned as the champion, Tyson nonetheless has served notice to the motorsport planet that — from starting grid to the podium and anywhere else in between — he is a force to reckon with.

Not bad for somebody who can’t legally drive a car on public roads.

When Tyson tested for a seat in this year’s Asian Formula Three (AF3) series, some veteran racers reckoned Tyson’s weakness would be his lack of experience driving a vehicle that actually has a transmission — something that is usually the case with young karters. Because they are too young to drive and thus have little or no experience at all in cars, "wunderkid" kart racers may have acquired most of the racing skills necessary but have not yet learned the art of gear shifting, the heel-and-toe shuffle and all the attendant intricacies that go with these. Come the AF3 ride test day (which can be likened to actors auditioning for a starring role), Tyson bested the competition, including one veteran racer who has a knack for marketing himself as the Philippines’ premier race driver, reportedly beating the guy by about six seconds. Which on the racetrack is the equivalent of an eternity.

As things have so far turned out, that test ride proved to be an accurate indication of Tyson’s talent. This year, he is competing in essentially three Formula events: the Promotions Class of AF3 (the division where vehicles’ chassis must not be built later than 1998), the National Formula 3 Series, the Formula BMW Asia Series and the Formula Toyota Series. As if these weren’t enough, Tyson is also racing in the expert division of the Formula 125cc in the Shell Super Karting Series. But competing is one thing, dominating is another. And Tyson is doing the latter.

For instance, in the National Formula 3 and Formula Toyota events, he has been topping the podiums with regularity. As of presstime, in the AF3 Promotions Class, he leads with 75 points, winning three of four races and becoming the youngest driver to take the top spot.

Tyson is also making waves in the Formula BMW Asia series, something which was not lost to the crowd at this year’s inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix where the Formula BMW event served as the support race for the 2004 Formula One Championship. Tyson stormed through the field and battled it out with veteran Chinese racer and pre-race favorite Marchy Lee, swapping leads throughout the race. Tyson settled for a close second, but not before giving Lee a hard time and the crowd an utterly awesome race to watch.

By the way, Tyson is currently driving in Formula BMW for the Team Minardi Asia-Goddard QHR. Team Minardi Asia is the junior squad of Team Minardi of the F1 series, and its pricipal is Mark Goddard, a longtime resident of the country and Tyson’s current mentor (together with Filipino race ace Edgen Dy-Liacco).

Just in case you’re not aware, Minardi is considered as the best bet to get into an F1 seat, as the other top-notch teams usually do not take in rookies — except if your name is Kimi Raikkonen and a world champ endorsed you to take his place in the team.

Now with Tyson driving superbly and, at 16, already a member of an F1 junior team...Well, we told you he’s the country’s most serious F1 hope.