Formula One team Manor has signed Indonesian Rio Haryanto to team up with the German Pascal Wehrlein for the 2016 season.
Haryanto, 23, becomes the first Indonesian driver in Formula One in an all-rookie team line-up.
Haryanto’s signing gives the team “a young and hungry 2016 driver line-up,” Manor said Thursday.
Manor owner Stephen Fitzpatrick said: “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.”
The news was welcomed in Indonesia, with Rio Haryanto becoming the number one trending topic for the country.
“This is very special news because I’m not only representing Indonesia but also Asia,” Haryanto, who will be the only Asian Formula One racer in the 2016 season, told Elshinta radio.
“I will do my best. It’s not only about being on the grid but also getting points.”
Vice President Jusuf Kalla congratulated Haryanto and wished him good luck on Twitter.
Haryanto comes with the multi-million-dollar sponsorship backing of Indonesia’s state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina.
He has been racing in junior series and won three races in GP2 last season to finish fourth in the standings.
Manor last week confirmed 21-year-old DTM champion Wehrlein as one of its 2016 drivers.
Manor finished bottom of the standings last season with drivers Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi.
The team will race with a Mercedes engine when the season gets underway in Melbourne on March 20.
Rio Haryanto
