Racing star not yet joining showbiz

A lot of people were say-ing that Marlon Stockinger is just using his Filipino heritage probably to get more “pogi” points. But as the F1 driver said in his first official Grand Fans Day held Jan. 11 at the Greenbelt Park, he is truly Pinoy. He was born in Cavite where he started racing at 10 years old.

His mother is a Filipina. He studied in Merville and then went to a British school.

He started his racing career in Carmona, Cavite, where his go-karting skills were honed. But it was just a hobby for him then, and Marlon did not once imagine that he would become a Formula One racer. “It was a [form of] bonding for me and my father. I was doing it purely for fun,” he said.

Marlon was glad to be back in the Philippines to spend time with his family. He is feeling rested and is taking racing off his mind for the time being.

The heartthrob says he is very thankful for the support of fans and is happy to have the opportunity to interact with them.

He wants to focus on his racing career and he is not thinking, at this point, of taking another route, like a career in showbiz. Matteo Guidicelli, who also used to be a champion car racer, has gained some popularity in showbiz but Marlon is not yet ready to jump into the showbiz scene.

“I believe I should focus first on my racing career. I have a lot of friends who are in that side of the business and I respect them for what they have chosen to do,” said the Formula One junior driver who idolizes champion boxer Manny Pacquiao. “They are professionals and they are doing a good job.”

Marlon speaks fluent Tagalog because he grew up in the Philippines. Besides, his mom talks to him in Tagalog.

He was asked about his thoughts on the accident that happened to champion racer Mark Schumacher. “Of course, I was saddened by what happened to him. I hope that he gets through it. He has won many championships before and he is an inspiration to us.”

For this year, Marlon hopes to win some races as he opens his campaign in the competitive world of driving. He hopes to do some driving in Carmona, Cavite while he is here. After all, it was in the Carmona race track where he first had his taste of competitive racing.

Now that he has placed the Philippines in the racing map with his exploits, Marlon says he is proud to represent his country. The young sports star made the Filipinos proud in the international motor racing scene by winning numerous international races – among them the world’s most prestigious Grand Prix race in Monaco – and being the first Southeast Asian race car driver to join the junior ranks of one of the most legendary Formula One teams – The Lotus F1 team!

Dubbed as one of the “Young Ones,” Marlon proudly represents the Philippines alongside six other recruits from across the globe.

Marlon has this to say when asked about the significance of joining the Lotus F1 Team Junior Program. “It’s a great feeling to be associated with such a prestigious team. If you look back through the years as Benetton and Renault you can see that this team knows how to win championships, so to be surrounded by that heritage is a big honor for me. I really want to make the most of it and am looking forward to wearing the team colors with pride.”

Marlon will take a huge step this year as he competes in the World Series by Renault, a challenge that he vows to truly work hard for to build a strong platform and progress through the ranks.

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Painting, a visual art form, is said to be a very personal undertaking. The artist, confined in near solitude and seclusion, spends days, and often, months and years trying to come up with a work of art that satisfies himself and consequently leaves spectators in awe.

Born in Barletta, Italy, on February 4, 1942, Italian painter Francesco Giannini is one of those artists who did not venture into the vocation unarmed. He studied art at the Higher School of Art in the Sforzesco Castle in Milan under the tutelage of Professors Beltrame, Alfredo Mantica, and Gino Moro completing his artistic formation at the Art Academy of Brera, Milan. Milan was incidentally where Giannini’s family moved to when he was a child. He has since made Peschiera del Garda, Verona, Italy his home base.

Married to a fellow painter, Anita Gatti, Giannini’s career as a painter has been both storied and celebrated. In 1980, he was elected member of the Academy of Fine Arts and Graphic Art in Pisa, aside from also being part of the permanent Society of Fine Arts in both Milan and Verona. 

Having developed a style that veers towards the vibrant and explosive, with his use of various shades of orange and winey tones of deep indigo, all dissolved in a light which seems to break away, Giannini’s works create an impression of mystery, of breathtaking riddles that draw the curious and the art obsessed. It is no wonder that Giannini’s works are coveted by art collectors in Italy and other parts of the world.

One of his most recent works is the mural in the church of San Beda College in Manila. Ongoing at the SM Megamall Showcase Area Building A is an exhibit by Giannini titled “Color, Culture and Faith,” which is brought to the public by the Benedictine Community of San Beda College. It started Jan. 13th and runs until the 19th.

Last year, he had a personal exhibition of his works in San Beda Manila, the paintings depicting the Benidictine story in the Philippine islands. In an interview with him at his exhibit opening, the esteemed artist said that while he was influenced by the works of the masters, he was conscious not to copy them but create his own style.

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The box-office power of Kim Chiu and Xian Lim will be tested when their movie “Bride for Rent” opens today in theaters nationwide. Their director Czarina Mae Cruz expressed confidence in the duo’s ability to draw a crowd, same way that their first film together, “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo” made an impressive showing at the box-office.

 Notwithstanding the bad publicity generated by Kim’s not so polite remark during the movie’s presscon which elicited negative feedback from the press and netizens, Star Cinema is confident that the film’s innate charm will do wonders for the tandem.

 â€œBride for Rent” is the director’s last film as a single woman, as she will be tying the knot soon.