Gabby de la merced
De la Merced has a thing for speed and is trying to shake off the cinematic image of a racer as a tough chick by being a fierce competitor and an attractive woman on the tracks of the Asian Formula 3 circuit. She has always had a fascination for cars and got her first set of wheels from her father when she turned 18. De la Merced’s racing schedule may keep her busy but she loves looking her best. “I have a good beauty regimen. I make sure I have lots of sleep and water. I also make sure to destress before a race,” she said.
Gaby dela Merced, who is surprisingly petite for a race-car driver, is one of the most prolific competitors in the Asian Formula 3 circuit.
I’ve always been passionate about what I do. And that’s how you should live life, no matter how ridiculous things seem. It’s not about showing the world, but showing yourself that this is what you want, this is where you want to go, and that you can find ways to get there
When I started off, it wasn’t really because of an interest in cars. Usually you’d hear, ‘I’m a gear-head, I like cars, I like the engines, that’s why I ended up racing,’” she explains. “I was never born into a racing community. I didn’t really know what I was talking about. I just kept saying, ‘I want to race, I want to race!’ I wanted to do that thing that I see on TV, and have fun.
First Race: Slalom First racing vehicle: 1982
Toyota Starlet Favorite car: McLaren F1
Favorite track: Sepang
Racing Heroes: Kimi Raikonen, Fernando Alonzo, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jojo Silverio, Kookie Ramirez
Hobbies: Flag football, adventure racing, violin, ultimate frisbee
Sponsors: Oakley, Goodyear, A-Toy, Concept 1, Bilstein, Tag Hauer, Hanjin,
Bigshot Billiards, Club Morocco
Racing History:
2000: Philippine Slalom Championship, Class wins
2001: Philippine Slalom Championship. Class wins, Ladies Champion
2002: Philippine Touring Cars, Novice Production Class, 3rd overall
2003: Philippine BRC Production Touring Car Championship, 3rd overall
2003: Philippine Petron GP Touring Car Series, 2nd overall Production Class
2004: Philippine Formula Toyota Championship, 3rd overall 2004: Formula BMW Asia Scholarship Driver
