Fil-Swiss driver Stockinger: 'I'm ready for F1'

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-Swiss Marlon Stockinger of Lotus F1 team came through with a strong third place finish in the Nurburgring leg of the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 series over the weekend in Germany.

Stockinger felt his recent performance in Germany pushes him closer to his dream of racing in Formula 1.

"I'm ready to land an F1 seat," said the 23-year-old Stockinger in Friday's media briefing at Mesa in Quezon City.

Stockinger, whose races are sponsored by Globe Telecom, landed next to Lotus F1 teammate Matthie Vaxiviere and eventual winner Roberto Merhiof of Zeta Corse team.

"The race brought me up to eighth place in the overall standings and I'm happy to have scored really good points. I hope to keep the momentum as we move on to the next tracks," he added.

Stockinger's effort at Nurburging, which was the sixth of the Formula Renault 3.5 series, came after a solid second place finish in the series kicker in Monza, Italy, which jumpstarted his bid in the circuit.

"I was more thrilled to start the season with such a high spirit and with the Philippine flag zooming around the track," said Stockinger., who is the first Filipino to be racing in the F1 arena.

Stockinger will compete in the next round in Hungaroring set from Sept. 13-14 in Budapest, Hungary, which will serve as the seventh of the nine tracks that form Renault's World Series where he thinks he will do equally well.

Globe Telecom, the exclusive business partner of the Lotus F1 team in the country and telecommunication partner of Stockinger, is steadfast in supporting him in his dream F1 journey.

"Globe has been supporting Marlon Stockinger, who has been making the country proud with his exploits abroad," said Globe's Jocel de Guzman.

Stockinger returned to the country to do a series of events, including a speed show dubbed as "Slipstream" on Aug. 30 at the Bonifacio Global City, where he will drive his Lotus-Gravity Charouz Formula Renault 3.5 car around the area.

It will also feature Lotus F1 simulators, booths, free7bies, games and concerts in the one-day festivity bankrolled by Globe.