Toyota Names Three Filipino Racers for Asia Esports Finals

Three Filipino sim racers will represent the Philippines at the 2026 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 14 and 15 after securing their places in the national finals in Pasay City.

Enzo Ison, Russel Reyes and Michael Velasquez earned their tickets to the regional competition following the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines Esports GT Championship National Finals held at the SMX Convention Center on September 27.

The competition gathered 20 finalists from more than 400 participants who entered the qualifying rounds. Ten drivers competed in the Junior Class and another 10 in the Sporting Class, with each category contesting four races on Gran Turismo.

Ison claimed the Junior Class championship with 130.5 points, ahead of Chester Jordan Ilog with 85 and Luth Ifamy with 76.5.

Reyes matched Ison’s 130.5-point total to capture the Sporting Class championship. Velasquez finished second with 93.5 points, while Luis Antonio Moreno placed third with 84.

The two champions automatically qualified for the Asia Finals, while Velasquez secured the third Philippine slot as the runner-up with the higher points total.

Ison and Reyes each received P100,000 in prize money, while Velasquez collected P75,000.

The finalists raced four Toyota performance vehicles on different circuits. They drove the GR Corolla at Brazil’s Interlagos circuit, the GR Yaris on the fictional Sardegna Windmills dirt course, the GR Supra at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the GR010 Hybrid at Germany’s Nürburgring.

Changing weather conditions added another challenge during the final two races.

Ison dominated the Junior Class with victories in all four rounds.

He opened with a pole-to-flag victory at Interlagos before overcoming a reverse-grid start at Sardegna Windmills. Starting fifth, he climbed to second by the fourth lap and eventually defeated Samuel Rey Icalia and Ilog in a close contest.

At Barcelona, Ison led every lap despite several incidents on the circuit and finished 17 seconds ahead.

His biggest recovery came at the Nürburgring, where a mistake dropped him to eighth while Ilog established a 10-second advantage. Ison reclaimed the lead on lap four and eventually won by 54 seconds.

The Sporting Class featured close battles between Reyes and Moreno.

Reyes defended his position against Moreno’s final-corner attack at Interlagos and held him off again during the closing lap in Barcelona.

Velasquez claimed the second race at Sardegna Windmills after taking advantage of the reverse-grid format. Reyes recovered from fifth to second but could not catch him.

At the Nürburgring, Victor Ancheta briefly threatened Reyes after building a 10-second advantage through his pit strategy. However, a penalty dropped Ancheta to sixth, allowing Reyes to finish 17 seconds ahead.

Toyota Motor Philippines Senior Vice President for Marketing Sherwin Chua-Lim acknowledged the effort of the finalists and the growing interest in virtual motorsports.

“It was inspiring to see our finalists push themselves lap after lap at the National Finals,” Chua-Lim said.

“The enthusiasm around sim racing in the country keeps growing, and it shows how many Filipinos share the thrill and joy of motorsports.”

For 16-year-old Ison, the Bangkok competition will be his third appearance at the regional finals after representing the Philippines in 2024 and 2025.

He previously won the national Junior Class championship in 2022 and 2023 and finished second overall in the 2024 and 2025 national finals.

Ison also competes in the Tamaraw Class of the TGR Philippine Cup under the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines Team.

“This year, we will train harder than ever to get the best results for the Asia Finals,” Ison said.

Reyes, 25, also has regional experience, having represented the country in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

He won the national overall championship in 2023 and finished third in 2024. After taking a year away from competition, he credited his improvement to a change in approach.

“Being gone for a year gave me a chance to reset and rethink how I race,” Reyes said.

Velasquez, meanwhile, will make his first appearance at the Asia Finals.

He said he looks forward to working with Ison and Reyes as they prepare to face competitors from other Asian countries.

The regional championship will take place in Bangkok on November 14 and 15, with Filipino fans able to follow Team Philippines through a livestream on the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines Facebook page.