Fil-Swiss finishes second, edges closer to F1 dream at first round of GP3 series

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino-Swiss racecar driver Marlon Stöckinger marked another milestone in Philippine racing history, finishing second with the Status Grand Prix Team at the first round of the 2012 Grand Prix 3 series in Barcelona, Spain.

The 21-year-old driver is the first Filipino to finish on the podium in a major European single-seater series, and at a Formula 1 weekend, with the record laying the foundations for a strong title challenge from Stöckinger and Status GP.

“When you start in the top five everything is always possible. The boys worked hard to give me a good car and it’s great that I finished on the podium in the first race of the season,” Stöckinger says.

He adds: “There was a bit of chaos at the start with the jump-starting cars, but after that it wasn’t too hectic for me. Of course, we still have a bit more to work on, but for now I am very happy with this result – and rest assured we will work even harder in the next races.”

For updates on Marlon Stöckinger, visit http://www.marlonstockinger.com or join the Marlon Stöckinger Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marlon-Stockinger/394105152801, or follow Marlon on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/imstockinger.