Marlon Stockinger: 'I'm a Pinoy driver with Swiss roots, with a Filipino license'

Filipino-Swiss racer Marlon Stockinger has been in the news recently, after his recent success in the racing world. He became the first Filipino racer to ever win a formula race in Europe, and he is now closer to gaining an F1 seat than any other Filipino has ever been.

Stockinger is currently racing as a junior driver in the Lotus Formula One Team. “Sports Pilipinas” host Chino Trinidad caught up with him after the Manila Speed Show, the first F1 road show to be held in the Philippines, to talk about his roots, the sacrifices he’s had to make to get this far in the racing world, and the new challenges ahead of him.

Read the full transcript below.

On finally entering the world of Formula One with Lotus

Chino Trinidad (CT): Eto, drill ito eh. Akala kasi nila porket ganyan ang itsura niya at hindi nila nakikita sa Pilipinas, hindi marunong mag-Tagalog. Eh, mas magaling pa mag-Tagalog sa akin ito eh. Again, salamat, ang ganda nitong place mo. More than anything, ‘yung salamat is for the prestige na ibinigay mo sa bansa natin, itong helmet na ito, what you have done and what you have achieved. Sa iba hong nanonood sa atin, ito hong ginawa niya, sabihin na nating ang dream ng mga Filipino is (for) someone to make it to the NBA, kasi basketball naman tayo eh, basketball ang gusto eh, ‘yung being drafted... drafting ba (ang) tawag doon? When you’re parang accepted, when they get you, signed up.

Marlon Stockinger (MS): Signed up na lang, kasi walang draft tayo sa F1.

CT: Sabi sa inyo marunong mag-Tagalog yan, eh. Signing up and making it to the team na considered one of the best teams, at tsaka sa reputation niya, talagang ‘pag sinabi mong Formula One, equals Lotus. Kasi kami, we grew up, panahon naming ng uncle mo, yung mga matchbox dati pagka naka-Lotus ka na, ‘yun ang ano eh, kumbaga top of the line. Making it into the team, gaano kalaking bagay sa achievement ng isang batang katulad mo?

MS: Siyempre naman it’s a dream talaga, kasi itong team na ito they won championships. They won Constructor’s Championships, they have drivers like Alonzo who’s now in Ferrari, he used to race with them in Renault. So being with the team in F1 is always big. Itong team, they’re actually at the front of the grid, so it’s one of the biggest names in Formula One. They’re currently second in the Driver’s Championships and they’re also currently second in the Constructor’s Championships so they’re ahead of people like Ferrari, they’re ahead of people like Mercedes, it’s really a big thing being associated with this team.

CT: Okay, alam ko since ‘yung time na matuto kang unang mag-drive, ‘yung pinananood ka… ang kwento ho niyan ‘yung mga Go Kart - Go Kart, doon ko ho ‘yan unang nakita eh. Doon ko nakita na may exceptional skills eh. Kumbaga, there’s something in you, what we call “X factor,” ‘yung pinag-usapan natin almost a year and half ago. Pero ano ‘yung tingin mo, ‘yung Lotus, as you’ve said it’s one of the best team sa sports, all sports, ano ‘yung nakita nila sa’yo sa tingin mo that they decided to sign you up and put the future of this team sa kamay ng isang batang kagaya mo?

MS: Siyempre naman, it’s not only just me. Obviously they also have seven other drivers sa program. Pero parang nakita nila may konting talent. In a way, they just saw from my early races, especially last year sa GP3, nakita nila ‘yung karera ko sa Monaco. ‘Yung team owner, that’s the only raced that he watched. I was really lucky that he saw this race. From there and also from the people who decided to put me on board, they saw enough of what I am capable of doing to let me be in the program.

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On talent and sacrifice

CT: Saan mo nakuha ito? Kasi pag nagra-race ka, akala kasi ng mga tao it’s sasakay ka doon, isaksak mo sa gear, pedal to the metal. ‘Yun ang akala nila eh, pero ang racing na ito, it takes a whole lot of, parang, attention to detail. ‘Yung effort, and the risk, anong meron ka that you’re able, kanina nag-usap tayo, anong meron si Marlon that you’re able to process everything at top speed, ano ‘yung pinakamabilis mong tinakbo dito?

MS: 300, 310 kilometers per hour.

CT: Paano mo naki-keep ‘yung, anong meron ka, what is special in you, nafi-feel mo ba na special ka? Yeah, meron kayong pitong drivers, pero confident ka na dadalhin ka nito ng malayo?

MS: Siyempre naman. I think may malaking sacrifice na ginawa ako para sa karera talaga. So all of that hard work off the racetrack, leaving home, and I guess working out everyday to achieve my goals, I think that shows that I have the focus and determination to do everything I can sa race weekend ko.

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On racing for the Philippines

CT: Mabigat ‘yung sa’yo, kasi ikaw ang nakikitang magdadala ‘di ba? Kasi nga, nakita ko sa isang interview we did is, gusto mo sa paraang ito, through racing to show everyone na ‘yung mga Pinoy, hindi lang ‘yan mga balasubas na jeepney driver o bus driver. We can compete with them and join the best teams available and be a dominant force. Gaano kalaking bagay na you have that inside you when you race?

MS: Siyempre naman, like in any sport, may pressure. Pero ‘yung pressure na ibinigay sa akin, is the biggest that I can put on myself. No one can put pressure on me than I do on myself. Siyempre naman, maybe it’s too much. If I can only let myself more than anyone else, then of course I’m able to zone out. Obviously, what I carry (is) for (the) Philippines, for my country, when racing in Motorsport, because at the end of the day it’s also with this roadshow, it’s not only to promote F1 or Lotus but it’s also to give back to people who supported me naman. It’s the first time that it’s gonna happen that there’s an F1 car here. We all know so many Pinoys, they see it on TV, or they have to fly to see the race. But this time, we’re actually bringing it to them, to their doorstep, para makita nila kung gaano (ka)galing ang Pinoy sa racing.

CT: Tsaka ang bigat, kasi ‘yun nga, ako, the closest I came across such a vehicle like this one is ‘yung pang-Shell lang na ano, ‘yung karton lang. And to bring this one, magkano ang halaga ng isang saasakyan? Roughly, how much? Can you actually put a price on that? Ano?

MS:  Hindi ko alam talaga ‘yung totoong price, pero mahal talaga siya. ‘Yung mga development, they put in hundreds of millions. Tapos ‘yung mga staff, I think sa (inaudible), where the team is coming from, sa England, they have 600 or more people working talaga para lang sa F1. So if you include everyone’s salaries, development work, it’s parang... close to, some teams can be close to it and used to, but I’d say definitely hundreds of millions in investment and financial support in order to make two racing cars to go around in circles.

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Being the future of Lotus in F1

CT: Pero ito, it’s a testament to how they regard you as the future of Lotus, kasi they bring in this kind of equipment or yung investment nila to bring it to a country, the Philippines. Alam mo naman, pagka nandoon ka sa labas, ano ba ang pinag-uusapan sa Pilipinas para dalhin nila dito? I think that’s a testament to how they view, how they look at you being the future or young face ng Lotus.

MS: Definitely, siyempre naman, they would not come all this way if they didn’t believe in me in a way. So the fact that they gave me this chance, it’s a big honor talaga, for them to both first come here, for them to firstly sign me as their junior driver. So, the fact that I get this opportunity, it’s obviously showing as Pinoys are coming closer to making it to F1. Pero at the same time naman, alam ko this is not making sure na I’m an F1 driver yet. I still have to prove myself. Kailangan mag-win ng race, win sa World Series, and have to really prove my worth still. It’s a step closer but still a long, hard journey ahead before we can make it official.

CT: Pero confident ka sa lahat ng ginagawa mo? Sa lahat ng support? ‘Yung support group mo dito sa pamilya, doon sa Lotus, you’re inching closer to that. Kasi ‘di ba noong huli tayong nag-usap, sabi mo ‘di ba, nakikita mo parang nandoon sa dulo, kumbaga, parang nasa isang mahabang pathway and you can see it. Pero right now sa journey mo na ito, gaano ka na kalapit sa pinnacle of this one dream?

MS: Siyempre naman, at this point in time, the door to F1 is the biggest it has ever been. Dati naman, akala natin, parang paano ‘to? How are we gonna do this? It’s so far away, we don’t know anyone, we don’t have connections with an F1 team. But now may connection tayo sa F1 team, na-test ko ‘yung F1 car, ngayon dinala natin ‘yung F1 car dito sa Pinas, so you can definitely say that it’s the closest I think anyone (has) ever been to achieving an F1 seat. But again, may season pa ako sa Europe, ‘yung World Series (na) kailangan mag-win ako ng good results, top ten, top five, score points, and then just take it from there. Alam ko naman it’s really easy to get... how do you say this, overshadowed by all the nice things happening, but I think the important thing for people to realize is I still have my racing career to focus on, we still need the support, so hopefully when we bring the F1 car here, people will rally behind us and we can get more support to achieve our goals.

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On the dangers of racing

CT: ‘Yung karera na ito, ‘yung top speed niya, ‘yung attention to detail, kasi ‘yung iba hindi nila nai-intindihan, ‘yung 100 kilometers per hour. Kasi dito, bawal na ‘yan, may speed limit na. ‘Pag lumagpas ka na diyan, triple that, paano mo name-maintain ‘yung focus? How do drivers do that, top speed, may sharp curve na turn, you do it top speed, how do you calculate na... ‘Di ba sabi mo minsan nga ‘yung wall nakikita mo na dito? Risky ‘yan. Alam mo sa bawat turn sa bawat karera, literally ‘yung isang paa mo nasa grave.

MS: Siyempre naman, like in motorsport, it’s a dangerous sport. At the end of the day, may risk factor talaga, pero ngayon ‘yung ginawa ng governing body ng F1, nag-ensure sila na safe talaga ‘yung racing, ‘yung motorsport. They wanted to end, especially the day when Senna was dying. Actually, it’s today that’s his death anniversary, I think. They want to ensure a lot of safety, so a lot of precautions have been made since then. ‘Yung tub ng F1 car is much higher, so when they have side impacts, the head’s protected, the neck’s protected. They really ensured talaga that it’s safe, pero at the end of the day, you still can get hurt, you can still get injured, get freak accidents. But you know, it’s like that in any kind of sport. For racing drivers naman, I think kailangan mag-switch off ‘yung brain mo before you get in the car because when you start thinking of these things, it will happen, so…

CT: ‘Di ba noong nanalo ka ng karera, ‘pag babalikan natin, it happened to you? May aksidenteng nangyari sa harap mo, bago ka lumabas, ‘di ba may aksidente? ‘Yung point na yun, you were saying na nanginginig ‘yung isang paa mo. ‘Yun, nagma-manifest ‘yun eh, kahit sabihin mo na naba-blackout ‘yung fear mo, nagma-manifest siya somewhere, nanginginig siya. But how were you able to deal with it? I-compose ‘yung sarili mo, you’re picking the pieces and went all out.

MS: I think kailangan talaga ‘yung positive thinking, kahit na ‘yung pressure, kahit na whatever you’re feeling that day, you have to focus your mind on that one goal you have. Kasi naman, we don’t race every day of the week. Our races come every other week, maybe every other month, so there’s a lot of downtime. So kailangan mo talaga i-prepare ‘yung mind mo para sa karera because you only have 3 days to prove you’re (inaudible), so in that time period, you just focus your attention and drown out everything else happening on that day. Kasi alam mo naman na ‘yun ‘yung karera mo and that’s the only time na you can do well. You have 45 minutes, and after that 45 minutes your weekend is finished. Before that, you have the effort, ‘yung training, sacrifices, to make sure the weekend goes well, so kailangan talaga mag-focus lang para sa karera.

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On the physical demands of racing and how he prepares

CT: Akala ng mga tao, kung ano ‘yung body type mo, ‘yun ang dadalhin mo doon. Once you’re inside that car, doon mo malalaman ‘yung bigat ng physical demands of this one, kasi akala nila wala ng pagkukundisyon. Pagsakay mo, susuot mo ‘yung helmet mo, susuot mo ‘yung jacket mong pogi, sasakay ka na and then it will take care of itself. ‘Yung mental and physical, papano mo kini-keep ‘yung sarili mong sharp? You have enough time in between, pero ang bigat ng demands ng sport na ito.

MS: Siyempre naman, kasi ‘yung mga tao may stereotype. Parang, it’s like driving my own car, just sit down, feels easy, there’s no force. Pero sa racing talaga, you go through a lot of G-force. I mean, in an F1 car it could be 5 to 6 Gs so mabigat ‘yung katawan mo, ulo mo sa mga G-force when you experience it, so kailangan ma-prepara ‘yung katawan mo para sa karera. You do a lot of gym work, kahit ‘yung diet mo, vitamins you take, supplements, everything is all tailored para sa karera. If you don’t prepare, especially in the series I’m racing in, where (it’s) very physical, (it’s) actually harder to turn a car (in) F1. It takes a lot of time and effort to be prepared in a sport like this.

CT: Yung G-force, para lang ma-intindihan niyo, ‘yung feeling mo, nasubukan ko ‘yan sa jet minsan eh, ‘yung parang humihiwalay ‘yung soul mo, ‘yung kaluluwa mo sa ano… and that one is physically, and ‘yet mentally demanding, nakakapagod eh, parang ‘yung buong pwersa ng speed and then ‘yung hawak-hawak mo na instrument, lahat dun makokontrol mo. Ikaw?

MS: It takes a toll, kaya I’d say, it’s a nice thing about me is that I have that focus, pero kailangan mo talaga ‘yung consistency. You’re driving a car in 300 kph, in our case 45 minutes, and for F1, one and a half hours. So you can imagine, the (more) tired you get, mas lalo yung consistency mo ‘di ba? So you have to get so fit para despite being tired you‘re still able to keep such performance. That’s where the fitness talaga comes in.

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On racing as a team sport

CT: Ako, ngayon ko lang narealize, kung i-coconsider mo lahat yun, yung G-force niya, yung ability mo to focus, pag sinabi mong athlete, kasi, sabi nila dito, it’s all about the car.

MS: No, I mean, so much talaga can be said for the car. You can see the difference of the top team from to the lower teams on F1. Pero at the end of the day, as much as the team can make a difference, overall it’s a team sport. So the driver and the team have to work together well to produce great race results. Kahit matingin ‘yung tao, it’s only this driver that makes this team win, no, at the end of the day, you have to have a good relationship with the team, because without that you’re not able to produce the results as well.

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On Lotus

CT: ‘Yung sinasabi mo na we’re celebrating his death anniversary, tama ka May 1 ‘yun. May 1 natapos ‘yung career niya. Genius ‘yun eh, behind the wheel. Ano ‘yun eh, sabi nga natin, ‘yung bar, sinet niya ‘yun, pero, sinisundan mo si Ayton Senna tapos sa Lotus, andiyan ‘yung some of the best, si Kimi andiyan ‘di ba?

MS: Schumacher used to race for Lotus, and then Senna was racing for Lotus when they were Toleman. Fernando Alonso, who won 2 world championships for Lotus when they were Renault, so the team has a lot of history talaga. They know how to win, and ‘yung culture nila is really racing. Alam nila how to make champions, how to be champions, and they beat people - the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull, and they’ve won two championships already this year. They’re one of the best teams this year also for sure and in previous years in Formula 1 history.

CT: Di ba sabi nila ‘yung mga Pilipino, kaya sila magaling sa contact sports kasi sanay tayo sa hirap, sanay tayo sa pakikipaglaban sa, alam mo ‘yun, ‘pag nakataya ‘yung buhay mo, the best in us comes out no? Diyan sa natutunan mo, kasi what you have learned here, coupled (with) what you have learned there to keep ‘yung excellence, what is Lotus for you if there’s something they truly present, something you have learned in the short span you’re with the team, what’s with Lotus that makes them one of the best if not the best diyan sa karerahan na ‘yan?

MS: Parang yung culture nila - the fact that they eat live, breathe racing. Those guys, they wake up in the morning, what makes them passionate in life is motorsport. That’s one thing I learned from them. Kasi binigay na nila para sa karera talaga, so I have learned that I had to have the same approach and really be in that direction, because if you wanted more than anyone else, you’re on the way to success and that’s really what they want. Kahit na they don’t have the biggest backing or they don’t have the best car, they’re still able to produce best results despite the odds. They’re still, I think, this season considered the underdogs, pero ngayon, they’re both second in drivers and constructors world championship. So they’re still prevailing despite all the negative stuff that’s coming earlier in the year. They’re really a great team, and from them I learned the fact that you have to give everything to racing talaga.

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On his success and sharing it with fellow Filipinos

CT: Magro-road show ka dito ngayon. Meron kang ma-ituturo sa mga Pilipino sa weekend where they will celebrate, dami ano, ‘yung mga products na dala mo. More than anything else, it’s the brand, the culture sa Lotus. But more than anything else, it’s a celebration of your success. Sabihin na natin na hindi ka kuntento, I sense it in you na alam mo na hindi pa ito, nasa doorstep ka pa lang, hindi ka pa tapos doon. Pero ano ‘yung gusto mong matutunan ng mga Pilipino na makikita si Marlon dito? Ma-intindihan nila na itong sport na ito is beyond glamour, beyond showbiz, beyond just a good looking driver? Hindi ‘yan, ano ‘yung gusto mong ma-ituro sa mga Pilipino para mas ma-appreciate nila? What are you trying to do for us, for us Filipinos?

MS: Of course, by bringing the F1 car here, it’s to show Filipinos, no matter where you are in the world, you are able to achieve your goal, your dream. I mean that’s just the fact that we’re able to bring an F1 car here, have, for example, the two drivers. I think a lot of people are expecting, bakit si Kimi, bakit si Roman who’s driving. But no, we’re putting a Filipino driver, myself, who’s born and raised in the Philippines. I mean, literally, where we’re driving the car, in the Quirino Grandstand, that’s ten minutes from where I grew up, near Malate. So it’s literally where I grew up in Manila Bay, and to have that opportunity, it’s just a dream come true. To show people that dreams do come true, you just have to believe it. Whatever bansa you come from, you can come and represent and bring it alive in a way.

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“I’m making it very clear na I’m a Pinoy driver with Swiss roots, with a Filipino license”

CT: Imagine-in mo, from streets of Malate to Monaco, racing from Carmona to Monaco, ‘yung ginawa mo na ’yun, kung papipiliin ka, what was the turning point that brought you that far? Ano ‘yung nagbigay kay Marlon ng resolve na siguraduhin na: “This is my chosen career?” I know from the start, when I step into that Go Kart, you knew, nakita ko ‘yung great drivers, I did some research eh, Ayton Senna started as a hell of a Go Kart driver. Naramdaman mo ba noong una kang sinampa ng tatay mo sa Go Kart, you knew that just was it, “This is gonna be my life?”

MS: Siyempre naman, it’s not like naman that they’re putting that pressure so early. For sure, my parents are the most supportive people. They didn’t put pressure on me. We took it just step by step, because we know in F1, like in any other sport, there can be many times it’s not gonna go your way. Even for me, this last race weekend, I had the worst weekend race of my career. You just take it on your shoulder and it’s part of sport diba? You can’t always have the highs and that’s what I think, the scene in the media, because the people only see the good times, because that’s only news worthy. But there’s a lot of downs, a lot of lows, before I win races like in Monaco or do well in championships and get points. So there’s a lot of sacrifice before that and I think people have to realize that, yes, it’s really fantastic for us, but at the end of the day, that was just the first step. ‘Yun ay unang step pa lang to push talaga. We have to do well in the racing.

CT: Kasi ‘di ba you should be made of sterner stuff to ba able to do it, kasi away from family, you’re living alone… So dito niyo malalaman na growing up sa kalye served him well. Kung ano ang natutunan mo, growing up sa States, pinabayaan ka ng nanay mo, na uuwi ka ng parang askal, ‘yung street kids na andun na typical na ang dungis-dungis, it served you well, kasi sa dulo, I think this is what toughened you, this is what made you, ‘yung character mo. ‘Yung iba kasi, sinasabi, ah laki ka sa kalye and everything. Ikaw? Masasabi mo na this really give you foundation?

MS: Siyempre naman. Kasi, obviously a Pinoy going to Europe, okay, I’m half Swiss at the end of the day pero ‘yung puso ko talaga is Pinoy. I really feel, because I grew up, I came from here, I feel Filipino. When I went there naman sa Europe, it was a new world to me, so I had to learn the racing culture, the culture itself, how to travel, how to do everything by myself. That’s the proud thing I have now, and I can say, you can put me anywhere in the world, kahit ibang bansa, alam ko kung paano. I know how to live, and that’s one nice trait of being a Filipino. And you know that, because there are a lot of OFWs, they can adapt to anything. Kahit ‘yung media diyan, when I did the F1 test, they did some coverage, the people in France, kahit sila nga they don’t know how to speak French and it’s just incredible to see Pinoys to adapt at any type of environment to make it easier for themselves, and I think that’s one thing I learned from being here, that we Pinoys are so culturable. We’re so friendly, we’re so open, and it’s juts easy for us to get a lot along with everyone. And I think (those were) the nice things I learned living here in the Philippines, to be open and to be able to be who I am no matter on what part of world I am.

CT: Comfortable ka kung sino ka.

MS: Yeah, exactly. And I wear it proudly naman. And I know, people in Europe still, kahit ‘yung mga media, kala nila Swiss-Filipino, Filipino-Swiss driver, or kala nila I’m a Swiss driver with a Filipino license, but no that’s wrong. I’m making it very clear na I’m a Pinoy driver with Swiss roots with a Filipino license, because at the end of the day, everything I learned, my racing career, when it all started, it was all homegrown here in Philippines. So I started racing literally in Carmona, Cavite. That’s where I learned all my roots. That’s where I learned to race, that’s where I learned to drive in the rain and I took all that I learned from the Philippines to win the Asian championship in Go Karts, move to Europe and learned everything there, so it all started here talaga in the Philippines. So it’s one thing why we bring back F1 here, because we want to show the youth and show that we have the foundation. We have the talent to make it to F1 circuit or the top of motorsport, kasi kayang kaya talaga ng Pinoy ‘yung motorsport. We’re built for it. Ako naman I’m not that tall also. Our body’s perfect for racing.

CT: Saka ‘yung ugali. ‘Yung ugali ng Pinoy, ‘yung adaptability, sabi mo nga, ngayon ko nakikita kasi sa racing you have to adapt, kung ano, mag-lock ‘yung brakes mo, kung mag-malfunction, ano ang gagawin mo, ‘yung natutunan mo dito…  Growing up is everything, the worst of conditions, pumutok man, masira man ‘yung gulong mo, mag-malfunction man yung gadget mo, i-tatawid at i-tatawid mo. That’s what you are bringing to the table. ‘Di ba tinatanong ko sa’yo kanina, what Lotus saw sa isang batang driver na kagaya mo, that they will actually build their future upon you. One driver na sabi mo nga Pinoy na Pinoy, I think that’s it.

MS: ‘Yun na nga eh, as you know in Motorsport, it’s a melting pot of culture diba? May ibang tao talaga eh. Sa team ko, may English, there’s French people, British, from Italy, from all parts of the world talaga. That’s one thing I realized, even being a Pinoy, I can get along them. I can communicate with them. They see the potential in the end as well. Makita din nila ‘yung fighting spirit. Ako naman, kahit sa likod, at the back of the grid, at the front of the grid, I’m always fighting, and I think that’s what you always see sa mga Pinoy. Kahit saang sports, sa boxing, kay Pacquiao, with his fighting spirit, you know, you always get gigil, ‘di ba? Maybe that’s sometimes my downfall. Gigil, and I want to show my worth sometimes and I have to take it a step down. But one thing I think is always good to have, is fighting spirit.

CT: That’s something you can’t teach. Nasa puso mo ‘yan. ‘Yan ‘yung mga bagay na you bring to the table.

MS: Yeah definitely. It’s (the) values I (was) taught in the house (where) I grew up (with) my parents. Also I want to thank my parents kasi sila lahat nag-organize for the road show.

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On his family’s support

CT: Itong road show, it’s for them. It’s giving back to the Filipino people for being us to realize or to experience F1. Pero it’s for your parents, for your support group.

MS: Yeah, no, those are the very important people at the end of the day in my life. My mom, my dad… they’re running around 24/7 making everything happen. Without them, I wouldn’t really be here. I’m just very thankful that they are able to pull it off because they’re the ones talking to the team, they’re the ones doing the logistics, they’re the ones doing the banners, the F1 village, setting the schedule and everything. It’s all from them, and of course, as well sa sponsors, I’m glad, Globe Tattoo came on.

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On road safety

CT: Ah hindi, tamang tama. Dito na tapusin ito eh, ito alam niyan Pilipino. Nahuli siya eh, bakit ka nga ba nahuli, ‘di ba nahuli ka? Hindi ka naka-seat belt.

MS: Ah ok. I was coming from an event and I realized I didn’t have my seat belt because (inaudible) so I was flagged down. Luckily naman, the ads for Globe came out and the officer recognized me, and, ‘Oh, sorry sir.’ Like, ‘I just saw you in the billboard and TV commercial that time.’ And said, ‘Okay, I understand, you’re be gonna safer next time.’ Thankfully they let us go through. It’s good that our police enforcers are making sure that people are wearing their seat belts. That’s important. Even the best make mistakes and that was my mistake that time for sure.

CT: Kasi ‘yung iba would poke fun at it. ‘Ah ginamit niya ‘yung pagkasikat niya.’ I mean, ikaw nakikita mo ‘yung importance noon.

MS: At the end of the day, in racing naman we have all safety requirements like we have 5 point harness seat belts. So you literally have different points where (the) seat belt is secured in you and your car and you can have an accident at 250 kph and you can walk away from it. But if you do that from a road car, with normal seat belts and normal chassis, the likelihood of you walking away from a 200 kph crash, is very unlikely, that you walk away alive. It’s not only your own life when you are on the road, also other people’s lives you have to account. They’re innocent and if you cause an accident it’s your fault. I will advise people, wear your seat belts, I know I did that mistake once. Just drive safely on the road. There’s no need to take your anger on a normal road, there are racetracks for that, that’s their purpose. Always be safe. I’m probably one of the safest drivers on the road. I know how it is to crash and it’s not a nice feeling.

CT: At alam mo na ‘yung life mo could end in an instant.

MS: Yeah, and the thing is, when you lose your life, that’s your own fault. But car accidents and other lives (are) at risk and you have to carry it out for the rest of your life. It’s also quite a big burden or torture to carry so I suggest no one drives stupidly on the road.


-Grace Gaddi/CM, GMA News