Why Marlon Stockinger matters
Pinoy driver hops into a Lotus, wins some races abroad and fills the nation with pride.
That's the story of Arsenio “Dodjie” Laurel, who won the Macau Gran Prix in 1962 and 1963. Tragically, he perished in that same race in 1967 gunning for a third title.
But exactly fifty years after Laurel's second victory in Macau, another Filipino driver has burst into the motorsports firmament.
Marlon Stockinger is 22 years old, born and raised in the Philippines to a Pinay mother and a Swiss father. He is no “Fil-For” who is Filipino out of convenience. His Tagalog is fluent, in case you're wondering.
Stockinger started out in karting, like many top F1 drivers, and won the Asian Karting championship in 2006.
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Right now he plies his trade in Formula Renault 3.5 series (also known as the World Series by Renault) as one of Lotus' seven junior drivers. Last year he picked up a Grand Prix 3 Series win in Monaco.
How good are his chances for breaking into the fabled F1 competition?
“Marlon's chances of getting into F1 are extremely good” said motorsports journalist Peter Windsor at last Friday's Gala Night of the Manila Speed Show, a Lotus-sponsored roadshow to promote Stockinger and Lotus.
“He has the talent, and Lotus is giving him a ladder to succeed. But he needs the support of a whole country behind him.”
“His chances are as good as you can imagine” says Lotus F1 principal Eric Boullier on Friday night.
C! Magazine Editor James Deakin is similarly upbeat, but with a caveat.
“I've been speaking to his engineers and mechanics. He's got what it takes. He has the skills and the talent.... but so does everyone else vying for that seat.”
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Deakin does, however, say that Stockinger has one ace up his sleeve.
“His edge is that he is highly marketable. He is coming form a new area (for Formula 1).”
But according to Deakin, supporting Stockinger isn't just about national pride. And selling F1 to a developing nation largely unfamiliar with motorsports is secondary, although he did quip that “in the Philippines, every stoplight is like first corner.”
“We are going to try and get him into F1 but more importantly, it's about what Marlon can do for us (the Philippines).”
Venture Capital firm Genii Capital is the majority stockholder of Lotus F1, and they are high on the gains that a nation can reap from the sport.
“There used to be a joke about F1” says Jin Choi of Genii Capital, who spoke at the Gala night. “It goes 'how do you become a millionaire? Start as a billionaire and buy an F1 team.'”
Choi says those days are long gone, as F1 is a sustainable and profitable venture. Genii uses Lotus F1 as a platform to bring deals, companies, and ideas together. According to him F1 can be a launchpad for a nation to promote itself.
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Malaysia has done so with Petronas, its petroleum company, sponsoring the Mercedes AMG team and the Caterham F1 squad. Venezuela has done the same with its driver, Pastor Maldonado, who tools around GP tracks for the Williams team. Mexico has two F1 drivers, McLaren's Sergio Perez and Esteban Gutierrez of Sauber.
Lotus F1 CEO Patrick Louis says that up to 2 billion people watch F1, making it a terrific venue to get people to learn more about the Philippines.
The Philippines is probably not going to go the way of India, Korea, and Singapore, who host F1 races with their own tracks. Deakin says the cost of building a track is half a billion US$, while getting a driver into an F1 seat is just fifteen to twenty million. And he says it can be recouped.
“This event is about opening their eyes (of potential sponsors) and saying there is a business model. Its not a CSR/social responsibility thing, where we want to support him just because he is Pinoy. We can show you how to make money. They (Genii Capital) are the experts. They are doing it for companies and countries.”
The way Genii and Lotus see it, Stockinger could be a great ambassador for a nation that is poised to get its moment in the sun, with robust GDP growth and another ratings upgrade, this time from Standard and Poor's.
As for the man himself, he is trying to stay humble. Last Friday Stockinger stood amidst the flashbulbs in front of a huge mock-up of a Lotus steering wheel, with a Lotus F1 car and a wax mannequin of himself swiveling slowly a few feet away.
Stockinger reminds everyone in attendance that the road ahead is long and may not be as pool-table smooth as the tarmac at the Nürburgring.
“I'm not there yet. I have to win in GP2 first. I have to take what Lotus is teaching me and make the most out of it. It's a long hard road ahead. I have to learn a new racing culture.”
“Pero maraming salamat sa mga kababayan” he adds. “Mabilis ang Pinoy.”
Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
