Marlon Stockinger believes in the Pinoy F1 dream

Marlon Stockinger certainly has that winning attitude.

“It's safe to say I'm aiming to fight for the championship” says Filipino racecar driver of his World Series Renault (WSR) chances for this year.

He's holding court in the Hard Rock Cafe in Glorietta on a Friday afternoon presscon courtesy of Petronas, one of his sponsors. The 21-year old is in a relaxed, expansive mood as he fields questions from the media.

In a few months he will venture back out to Europe to compete for the Lotus F1 junior team in the WSR, a stepping stone for the Big Show that is Formula 1. It will be the second year with Lotus in this series.

Many current or former F1 drivers cut their teeth in WSR before reaching the top flight. Some drivers even take two or three years to develop in WSR before getting an F1 call-up. Stockinger hopes a solid 2014 will give him a half-decent shot at snagging one of the 22 F1 seats going forward.

“I know most of the tracks by now” says Stockinger of the one year of experience in WSR where he garnered five “rookie podium” finishes for the top first-year drivers in every race.

“This year I'll be going for more real podiums” he says with a big smile.

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Stockinger has worked on his fitness ever since he reached WSR, adding seven kilograms of muscle. The driver says the added strength comes in handy late in races.

But will he one day have the strength of body and mind for F1?

“Physically, driving an F1 car is easy” he says. Stockinger says that the WSR car, with its heavy steering wheel, actually presents more of a challenge in some ways.

Stockinger also says that lap times for WSR cars in the Barcelona track were only about six or seven seconds off the pace of F1 cars. When it comes to top speed, the cars from the two races are even closer.

But Stockinger does face competition from scores of other drivers in the WSR. Fortunately he can already count on support from the Filipino diaspora in Europe.

“I can safely say that Monaco is like a home track to me” says Stockinger. “There are so many Filipinos there. It's cool to see the support and all the flags right before Casino Corner” adds the racer, referring to the legendary turn of the Circuit de Monaco, where the Pinoy won in the 2012 GP3 series.

In fact, Marlon's stock has definitely risen for Filipinos everywhere.

“I started my Facebook page four years ago” he continues. “Then I had 200 likes and was the happiest guy in the world. Now I have almost 100,000 likes.” His personal FB account has too many friend requests to accommodate mine, and his official Twitter feed has over 33,000 followers. Corporate sponsors like Globe and Petronas have already lined up their support.

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Stockinger is no “overseas-born Filipino.” Although he studied in the British School in Manila, Marlon is a Made In The Philippines in every other way. His father, Tom, is a Swiss businessman and his mom, Egin, is from the Philippines.

“I'm a homegrown talent” he says with pride. “This all started here.”

Stockinger says his weekly trips to go-kart tracks in Carmona and Cavite when he was a kid sharpened his driving skills.

“All the basics, like how to drive in the wet, how to handle new tires, how to compete, I learned it all here. It's possible for us, no matter how small we are, to compete with the best of the world.”

But Stockinger's rise isn't just a boon for Pinoy motorsport. It can help sell the country as well. According to top Filipino motoring writer James Deakin, should Stockinger get an F1 seat, it would be like having “an embassy on wheels” that could help bring badly-needed attention to the country. That in turn could attract investment and tourism that would be a boon for the economy.

Tom Stockinger, the father, even floated the idea of one day trying the GP2 Series, another support series of F1. Unlike WSR, GP2 has events in Asia, which would allow him to race closer to home.

But all that's still very much into the future. For now Stockinger is focused on the upcoming WSR season. Soon he travels to Prague in the Czech Republic to meet up with Lotus. There will also be travels to England. Before the season begins, Stockinger will have to engage in “winter testing” to familiarize himself with his steed.

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Stockinger has spent plenty of time in Europe over the last few years, especially in Zurich, Switzerland, which he describes as rather quiet compared to the frenetic energy of his homeland. Marlon is only fluent in English and Tagalog, but he has picked up enough of Swiss German to manage.

He's also wandered around Germany, where he has breached the 300 km/h mark on the autobahn, using vehicles like a Ferrari 430 Scuderia and a BMW M6.

But no matter where he drives, Stockinger remains focused on his dream of piloting an F1 car. He's actually did it last May, but as a part of a promotional event where he tooled around Mall Of Asia Complex in a Lotus F1 car. The dream of a Pinoy doing it in competition remains. And he'll be just as proud even if he isn't the one behind the wheel.

“As long as the sticker beside the name on the helmet is a Philippine flag” says Stockinger, “it will really be a proud day for all of us.”

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH. Catch the Marlon Stockinger Fans Day on Saturday, January 11, at Greenbelt Park. Registration begins at 12 noon with the event itself starting at 4 pm.