Engine, tire problems bug Pinoy in Italy

Bugged by engine and tire problems, Fil-Swiss driver Marlon Stockinger finished 13th in a field of 26 in his debut race in the 2013 World Series by Renault in Monza, Italy Sunday.

After finishing 21st overall in the kick-off race of the 20-leg series at the Autodromo di Monza, Stockinger, one of two drivers representing the Lotus Junior Team in the event, settled down and worked his way up from the back, finishing 52.250 seconds behind race winner Antonio Felix da Costa of Portugal, who clocked 46 minutes, 24.405 seconds.

Stockinger, 21, finished five rungs ahead of teammate Marco Sorensen of Denmark who came up ninth in the first race.

Aside from dealing with engine and tire problems, Stockinger also had to contend with the “half-wet, half-dry” weather that also posed a major problem to most of the other drivers.

“It’s not exactly the start we had wanted. We managed to deal with the problems and finished better in the second race. We hope to do better in the next couple of races,” said Stockinger, looking ahead to the next stop of the series on April 27-28 at Ciudad del Motor de Aragon in Spain.

Stoffel Vandoorme of Belgium, like Stockinger a rookie in the series, took the checkered flag in the opening race and finished third in the second to assume the early lead in the driver’s championship with 40 points, four points up on Kevin Magnussen of Denmark who finished second in both races.

Stockinger is running 17th, with Sorensen in 21st place.

After the Aragon race, the series goes to Monte Carlo on May 25-26, Moscow Raceway on June 22-23, Red Bull Ring in Austria July 20-21, Hungagoring in Hungary Sept. 14-15, Sept. 28-29 in Paul Ricard, France, and ends at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain Oct. 19-20.

After the Aragon leg, Stockinger will return home for the “Manila Speed Show” on May 3-5 where he will drive a Lotus Formula One car that will be flown in by the Lotus Team.