Cebu karting prodigy William Go is tracing the careers of F1 superstars

At just 14 years old, he’s raking in podium finishes in the Euro circuit
Aug 16, 2022
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PHOTO: From Left: KSP Reportages, Mario Perrucca via William John Riley Go/Instagram

EVEN WITH Formula 1’s growing popularity here, it’s still uncertain if we would ever see the Philippine flag on the grid. However, there has been a renewed hope in the quest towards a Filipino racer making it to the pinnacle of motorsport.

Last year, we witnessed the rise of 17-year-old Bianca Bustamante — her ascent from karting to single-seater racing, journey in the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars, and ultimately her first year in the W Series.

Now, there’s another young racer making a name for himself in karting — 14-year-old William John Riley Go — as he bagged podium finishes in his first European campaign in championships such as the WSK Euro Series and the FIA Karting Academy.

In case you were wondering just how prestigious those two racing championships are, well, it has only produced drivers such as Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Esteban Ocon, and Max Verstappen. Any of those ring a bell?

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    With how his first year in Europe has been panning out, this young racer from Cebu seems to have a bright future ahead of him. Speaking to Spin.ph a few weeks ago, right before his last pre-summer break, he had just qualified P10 out of 82 drivers that weekend. But even with this achievement, there remains a humble kid who knows that his journey is just beginning and he’s still got a lot to learn along the way.

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    Racing feats and beginnings

    The youngest out of 3 siblings, and the only son of a Filipino-Chinese couple from Cebu, William recalled his earliest racing memories of going to the track with his dad and watching the races as a lot of his dad’s friends had sons who were also racing drivers — one of them being Eduardo Coseteng, a Filipino racer now based in the UK who races in Formula 4.

    At just two years old, this exposure to the sport made him fall in love with the concept of racing. By 6, he was already behind a racing wheel.

    He had been racing solely in the Philippines until 2017 before he and his family were encouraged by Eduardo’s dad, Jody, to try racing around Asia. This proved to be a good move: In 2019, at the age of 11, he became the 1st Filipino karter to bag 3 overall Asian Karting Championships (IAME X30 Asia, Asian Karting Open Championship, ROK Singapore) as well as an overall first runner up finish at the ROK Asia Cup.

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    To bag each of these titles, he had to go through races around Asia; in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

    Winning these championships guaranteed him a ticket to race in Europe. However, his plans of racing there had to be stalled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    And so, from 2020 to 2021, the lockdowns stalled his budding racing career.

    However, this did not hinder Go’s progress nor his mindset. Even when he was stuck at home, he did simulator work and kept himself active.

    “I like staying active with sports because I get to move my body around, which is better for me than just sitting,” said William, who also plays basketball, football, and baseball — though, racing, of course, is still his number one.

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    William Go on the feeling of racing and winning

    Now that he’s back to racing, and in Europe at that, he could immediately feel the difference from his old circuits.

    “Karting in Europe is a very different type of feeling and community; here there are so many drivers,” he said. “Only 36 drivers can get into the final and there’s 80 of us competing for a spot — we’re all split between 3 tenths of a second so the grid’s really just so close. It’s physically tiring and you have to make sure that you’re able to keep the car in one single motion — there’s a lot to consider.”

    He added: “You have to make sure that you’re very very focused. If you’re not focused at the thing that you’re doing then you’re gonna make mistakes.”

    Nevertheless, it all feels natural and at home to him, and he still gets an immense feeling of satisfaction when he climbs aboard his car. Anxiety is rarely part of the equation. And neither is pressure — even if he is aware that he is following in the footsteps of current F1 stars.

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    “Guys like Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, [they] won in a different era,” he explained. “Following in their footsteps and racing in higher categories such as Formula 4 then Formula 3 then Formula 2 and finally Formula 1 would need so much money.

    “Each category is a different level so if you struggle in one, you don’t know what’s gonna happen to the next couple of years.”

    So he’s just enjoying the moment, and taking pride in representing the country. “When you win a race, you get an amazing feeling especially with all the hard work that you and your team have done over the weekend. Just seeing a lot of people doing it and seeing them have fun which is something that I also feel with racing.”

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      It’s also a tremendous learning experience for the young motorsports athlete. For him, it’s nost just about driving and getting better.

      “You need to be patient, think about it first, see what you’re or the others are doing wrong,” he said. “For example, when you’re overtaking, you have to think about it to make sure that you get the move done. You also need to learn how to be very persistent (being able to bounce back after a defeat), gracious in defeat (being happy for others when they win), and just love what you do.”

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      Racing forward

      To get the highest level of racing motorsports is a long shot, but Go has his eyes on the prize. And in case he doesn’t make it, he still wants to be involved… but inside the paddock.

      “I hope to get into Formula 1 and be able to give back to everyone who helped me in my racing journey as well as those from communities who are in need,” he said. “If being a driver doesn’t work out, I wanna become an engineer for a Formula 1 team. Having a racing background would be able to help me with that since I would have an idea of how the cars work.”

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      At his tender age, he’s had to learn to tough it out and make sacrifices — including being away from his family and friends. But it’s all for love of the sport… and the desire to make it to a more competitive level.

      “Racing is really about never giving up because even if you get behind on the first lap, you still have a chance to win given that there’s so much action going on. You have to have that fighting spirit and be motivated to win,” he said. “You try to get the best results not just for yourself but for the whole team and everyone around you.”

      Long laps still lie ahead for Go.

      “You’re not gonna win straight away,” he said. “You have to work a lot harder and train more to get better.”

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      PHOTO: From Left: KSP Reportages, Mario Perrucca via William John Riley Go/Instagram
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