Despite a bumpy journey getting there, Stockinger's Monaco victory 'a dream'

“I am going to be the first Filipino race driver to ever run a race car through the narrow streets of Monaco. It has a little bit of a Hollywood feel to it,” said Filipino-Swiss driver Marlon Stockinger excitedly. Stockinger had been looking forward to the Monaco leg of the 2012 Grand Prix 3 season since November. Of all the stops in the competition, this one was his favorite because it’s the GP3’s maiden voyage in this country. Little did Marlon know that he would also be scoring another historic feat as he skidded on the streets of Monaco and made his way to the finish line. Lupang Hinirang in a European race Marlon Stockinger topped the GP3 race in Monte Carlo last weekend, making him the first Filipino winner of a European race. “This is something that has only previously happened in my dreams! To stand on the podium steps in Monaco, where people like Ayrton Senna once stood, is mindblowing. And for it to be after my first win in GP3 is incredible!” said Marlon. Nothing is indeed more movie-esque for a driver than climbing the podium with his national anthem playing in the background. But it wasn’t as easy as driving from one point to another. Marlon’s debut season in the GP3 was anything but ideal. For one, his car stalled on the starting grid in several races. In Barcelona, he qualified for third place but was later disqualified for a minor technical infringement (the clearance between the car's floor and the road surface was five millimeters too low). He was also in a sensational crash where he hit Swiss driver Nico Muller who had stalled on the grid. “Insult to injury was the comment of a German TV journalist on the Eurosport channel saying that I had already been noticed as a driver with bad habits, which was absolutely not true,” he explained. New season, new team Going into his sophomore year, Stockinger knew he had to make some changes. The GP3 features one of the most competitive grids in the world, with 20 of the best young drivers in tow. Last year, some participants were already F1 reserve drivers, like Valtteri Bottas from Finland who eventually won the series. This season, 30 drivers from 10 different teams were competing in the Formula One support race. After months of testing with different teams over the winter break, Marlon ultimately signed with the race-winning Status Grand Prix. “We fully expect him to be challenging at the front of the field this year. Experience also counts in the GP3 Series, and going into his second year Marlon is consistent and knows how to get the best out of the car and tires,” said Status GP team principal Teddy Yip. Marlon showed promise even in the pre-season tests where he made the top six in both Barcelona and Silverstone. But of course, what matters is the time you clock in at the actual races. The GP3 season opened in Barcelona, Spain where Marlon finished second, just 2.6 seconds short of the gold. And his season was just starting. Monaco race Marlon looked forward to this particular race, but Carlin driver Antonio Felix da Costa wasn’t going to make it easy for him. The Fil-Swiss driver had the advantage over his Portuguese rival at the start, but had to do it all over again when the safety car appeared due to a first-corner collision. After the restart, the two drivers were at it again. While da Costa was on new rubber, Marlon was racing on tires that had already done 20 kilometers in qualifying. Still, the Status GP driver managed to gain control of the race. On the 11th lap of 18, he set a new fastest lap at one minute and 28.747 seconds. But right after that, another accident occurred. With damage to the catchfencing at one of the track's turn, it was decided to red-flag the race, leaving Marlon an emotional victor. “The race was pretty close. The important thing was to focus on being consistent, refrain from mistakes and make a gap. Having fastest lap was good and not only because of extra points – it showed that I could have kept the lead even if the race had run to the finish and also proved that the team did a great job. I couldn’t have done it without those guys,” he said. The win moved Marlon up to third in the championship position with 39 GP3 points. His team Status GP also made progress, improving to third in the teams' championship. First Filipino in Formula One? After the GP3, Marlon can move to GP2 or World Series by Renault to get to F1. Either way, he wants to make the sport more popular among Filipinos. “When I came first to Europe, they asked me ‘Where do you come from?’ and I said ‘From the Philippines.’ A lot of people asked, ‘Where is that?’ "Success in motorsport on a high level can put the Philippines on the world map in terms of sports achievements. Manny Pacquiao has done that with his bare fists. I would love to do the same in motorsport. Man and machine! Often during race events it happens to me that Filipinos living and working abroad come by our paddock and are amazed to see one of their kababayans racing in some foreign country. That always made me proud,” he shared. The next round of the GP3 Series will be held in Valencia, supporting the European Grand Prix on June 22-24. If all goes well, he could be the first Filipino to compete in Formula One. It is a task he feels confident he'll reach in three to five years. But until then, there are GP3 races to run, and a 2012 GP3 title at stake. - AMD, GMA News