Manor Racing has chosen Rio Haryanto for its second race seat, completing a young and hungry 2016 driver line-up.
The 23-year-old’s Formula 1 debut follows success in junior formulae since single-seater racing in 2008. He impressed in each of his three F1 tests and graduates from a robust 2015 season in GP2 Series.
Rio climbs into the Manor Racing MRT05 cockpit for testing in Barcelona next week, with his first Grand Prix next month in Australia.
Stephen Fitzpatrick, Manor Racing’s owner
“We are delighted to announce Rio as our second race driver for 2016. Rio’s been racing since he first got into a kart at six years old. He’s tenacious on and off the track and made a big impression on last year’s GP2 battle. Rio’s huge following in Indonesia is great for the team and for F1. They are keen to see him on the grid and we’re confident that we’ll see him enjoying some exciting battles in the year ahead.”
Rio Haryanto
“Manor Racing is a team with an exciting vision and ambitious plans. They have produced a great package and I can’t wait to get in the car. Melbourne will be a huge moment for me, my country, supporters and fans and I want to thank everyone who’s been with me since I started in single seaters; 2016 is my chance to reward that faith and represent Asia in F1.”
Manor Racing is one of Formula One’s few privateer teams. Under new ownership since early 2015 it has restructured its operations bringing in established engineering talent alongside its own seasoned pros. 2016 sees the team partner with Mercedes-Benz for powertrains and Williams Advanced Engineering for gearboxes. With Pascal Wehrlein – previously reserve driver of the Mercedes works team – and Rio Haryanto joining as drivers, Manor Racing is poised for a competitive seaso