Rio Haryanto becomes Indonesia’s first Formula One driver as he signs on with British outfit Manor
He will make his grand prix debut for Manor, joining German driver Pascal Wehrlein
Rio Haryanto will become Indonesia’s first Formula One driver after signing a one-year contract with Manor, the British motor racing team announced on Thursday.
The 23-year-old will make his grand prix debut in Australia in March alongside German driver Pascal Wehrlein, a fellow young star who secured the other vacant seat at Manor earlier this month.
I still can’t believe this is happening. It’s great news, and I will give the best I can to be an F1 driver
The rookie driver will shortly depart for Barcelona to test drive the new MRT05 race car for the team, who have recently entered an engine partnership with Mercedes.
“I still can’t believe this is happening,” Haryanto said at the announcement in Jakarta.
“It’s great news, and I will give the best I can to be an F1 driver.”
READ MORE: German rookie Pascal Wehrlein set for Formula One bow as he joins Manor Racing
Manor said Haryanto impressed during his F1 trials and the 2015 GP2 series, where he finished fourth overall and topped the podium on three occasions.