YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia—With the Philippine flag proudly displayed beside her name on her Yakult-themed BMW E36, 14-year-old Filipina drift prodigy Bella Cañete of Akuma Drift Team once again proved why she is one of the brightest rising stars in Asian motorsport.
Despite battling a shifter issue throughout her run, Cañete delivered a commanding performance in the Women’s Drift Challenge (WDC) Pro-Am Division of the 2025 Indonesian Drift Series (IDS) at the Mandala Krida Stadium.
In the final round, Cañete set the tone early by taking Top Qualifier honors with 99.67 points. She then went on to defeat Emilie Mesya of Palifornia Motorsports in the semifinals and Negin of Rizqy Motorsports x Team AAA in the finals, securing her fifth consecutive WDC Pro-Am championship trophy.
The victory marks the first time in IDS history that a driver has swept all five rounds of the WDC Pro-Am Championship, finishing the season with a perfect score of 560 points, the highest ever recorded in WDC Pro-Am history.
IDS – New Gen Category
Competing in the New Gen class as well, Cañete qualified 8th, advanced to the Top 8 after defeating Zanetta Salsabila of Zetta Racing Team, and narrowly fell short against Athariz Fairel of BTX All Star, the top qualifier.
Throughout the 2025 season, Bella consistently impressed, earning three championship trophies (Rounds 1–3) and second place in Round 4
Record-Breaking Achievements
Cañete closed out the 2025 Indonesian Drift Series season with multiple historic milestones, namely 5-time WDC Pro-Am Top Qualifier; 5-time WDC Pro-Am Champion; youngest Filipina to win an overall champion trophy in the Indonesian Drift Series; youngest female Southeast Asian drifter to be crowned as overall WDC Pro-Am Champion; first Filipina drifter to sweep all WDC Pro-Am Champion trophies and achieve a perfect total score of 560; and first Filipina crowned as the Overall WDC Pro-Am Champion
Overcoming Adversity
Cañete’s triumph comes after a turbulent lead-up to the finale, when one of the IDS directors, Akbar Rais, attempted to reject her registration and remove her from the standings due to his personal reasons that were not related in any way to Bella’s performance, readiness, or compliance as an athlete.
Thanks to the intervention and support of the shareholders of PT Indonesian Drift Series, the legal team from Ichwan Law Office, AAP Motorsports, the Indonesia Drift Commission, IMI, the Philippine Embassy in Indonesia, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, justice prevailed, allowing Cañete to rightfully compete and defend her title.
With her head held high and the Philippine flag once again draped over her shoulders, Bella Cañete ended the 2025 Indonesian Drift Series season not just as a champion, but as a symbol of perseverance, pride, and the unbreakable spirit of a young Filipina racer who refused to back down.
