Lotus F1 car to zoom through streets of Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Marlon Stockinger, hoping to become the first Filipino Formula One competitor, will put his driving skills on display when he drives a Lotus F1 car in the streets of Manila.

A Lotus F1 car was brought in for the Manila Speed Show, and for Stockinger to drive around the Quirino Grandstand today and the Mall of Asia grounds tomorrow.

It’s the first time that an F1 car, which could cost $20 million or even more, will rip through the streets of Manila. It’s a rare event for Filipinos to witness.

The 22-year-old Stockinger, the face of Philippine motorsports, graced the event’s press launch yesterday at the Manila Hotel. He said he feels the challenge.

“Driving an F1 car is very challenging. You have to push it to a certain limit. You need to have full control,” said Stockinger, part of the elite Lotus F1 junior team.

Eric Boullier, team principal of the highly successful Lotus F1 Team, was on hand to talk about the event, which is part of their campaign to promote the sport.

“It’s an embassy on wheels. And this is just the beginning,” said Boullier of the team’s effort to put their F1 cars both on display and in action even in non-F1 countries.

Stockinger is one of only seven junior F1 drivers for Lotus, and sooner or later he will man the wheel in an actual race.

Martin Reiss, business development manager of Lotus F1, however, said there’s no reason to hurry. He added that 2015 could be the right time for Stockinger.

“There’s no pressure. We need the right time to do it,” he said.

From the Manila Speed Show, he returns to Europe for the Formula Renault 3.5 series in Monte Carlo, and a series of races until the season ends in October.

Stockinger, a standout in the 2011 and 2012 GP3 Series, was born in Manila. His father, Tom Stockinger, is a Swiss businessman, and his mother, Egin San Pedro, is Filipina. He left for Europe after he turned 17 to pursue a racing career.

And he’s right on track.