The battle for this last seat was between three contenders: Will Stevens, who was the main driver for Manor last year, Alexander Rossi, who made his F1 debut with the team in 2015, and thus Rio Haryanto.<\/p>\n
It is therefore the latter who managed to secure this last spot, which will allow him to make his debut in Formula 1, after four seasons in GP2. The Indonesian driver experienced a true breakthrough last season when he managed to win his first victory in the category and finish the championship in 4th place.<\/p>\n
But his driving skills are not the only thing that tipped the scales. He also benefits from significant support from his government and the country’s oil company, Pertamina. The government has thus promised up to 15 million euros to secure the place of its prot\u00e9g\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Stephen Fitzpatrick, the team owner, did not fail to highlight this national support: “The huge following of Rio in Indonesia is great for the team and F1. They are eager to see me on the grid and we are certain that we will see him take part in some exciting battles this year.”<\/p>\n
Now the next step will be the winter testing which begins next week at the Barcelona circuit. For Manor, the task will not be easy with a new technical organization and a pair of 100% novice drivers.<\/p>\n