Haryanto to race at German Grand Prix

Rio Haryanto’s Formula 1 future was cast into doubt following the Hungarian Grand Prix, but the Manor driver’s debut season is set to continue after it was confirmed that he will be in action at the German Grand Prix this weekend.

The 23-year-old, who is the first Indonesian to compete in Formula 1, has a contract in place for the full season, but the funding he received from his sponsors only lasted until last week’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Speculation was rife that Haryanto’s days in F1 might be over, but it has now been confirmed that he will race on – at least for the German Grand Prix.

“The team have been very supportive and also the fans, so I’m really happy that I will be racing here,” Haryanto told reporters. “I intend to put all the speculation regarding my future to one side and concentrate on the racing here in Hockenheim.”

Haryanto’s main sponsor, state-owned oil company Pertamina, have already shelled out five million euros to fund his Formula 1 campaign, and, according to reports in the Indonesian media, Pertamina will need to pay a further 15 million euros in order to keep Haryanto’s F1 dream alive.

However, despite this stumbling block, Haryanto has revealed that negotiations to see him race for Manor for the remainder season are still ongoing.

“We’re working as hard as possible on the future behind the scenes, but that’s where I want to keep that side of things for this weekend,” he said.