Filipino-Swiss racer Stockinger: 'Stay grounded no matter what'

Filipino-Swiss Marlon Stockinger, one of the seven junior drivers being trained by the Lotus Formula One team, says racing is not all glitz and glamor but also sacrifice. Good thing he possesses the resilience inherent in the Pinoy spirit. Stay grounded no matter what. It’s so easy for the media to show all the nice highs, but there’s also a lot of sacrifice. I’ve also lost a lot in order to achieve what I’m trying to achieve now. So focus lang and stay grounded and enjoy what you do,” said Stockinger. “Mabilis talaga ang mga Pinoy so we can really reach our goal kahit anong bansa, wherever place you’re from, you can really reach the top, even in motorsport,” continued the racer, who spoke mostly in Filipino with Susan Enriquez and Mariz Umali on GMA News TV’s “Kape at Balita” on Tuesday. Stockinger's biggest victory happened last year by finishing at the top of the podium at the 2013 GP3 Series in Monaco. The Lotus Formula One team showcased their race cars over the weekend. Born Marlon Alexander Stockinger in April 4, 1991, the 22-year-old started his racing career with go-karts when he was only nine years old. Stockinger did this for around eight years Philippine races and eventually Asia and Europe, before he shifted gears and began his journey to become a legit and the first ever Filipino to compete in Formula One. During the “Kape at Balita” interview, Stockinger said one needs to be highly disciplined to participate in racing. “Of course, maraming sacrifice para sa karera. Maraming training, you need to eat the right food. A lot of discipline talaga (ang kailangan) to make sure you're prepared for racing, to be mentally and physically fit,” he said. However, he acknowledges how nice the feeling brought about by recent attention to him is, especially the attention showered by Filipino supporters. “Maganda talaga yung feeling kasi it's a nice responsibility to have, and to represent the country at the top level of motorsport and to bring it to the fans so they can see it, they can hear it, and feel it – maganda talaga yung feeling,” Stockinger said. “At maraming suporta talaga sa event natin and I just want to say na maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga kababayan who came to watch the event. It was really an honorable experience to see all of them there,” he said. As he races toward his F1 dreams, Stockinger in a previous interview pointed out how being Filipino has helped him deal with the difficulties of racing. "If I'm at the back of the grid or at the front of the grid, I'm always fighting. I think that's one thing you can always see sa lahat ng Pinoy," added Stockinger. "That's one thing that I think that's always good to have, that fighting spirit,” he said. — Gian C. Geronimo /LBG, GMA News