Indonesia's Auto GP and GP3 star Rio Haryanto has been signed up by Marussia Carlin GP2 to race in 2012 alongside Britain's Max Chilton.
Rio Haryanto has been confirmed for a 2012 race seat at Marussia Carlin
GP2 alongside Max Chilton, the team has confirmed.
The teenager from Indonesia competed in last year's GP3 Series with Marussia Manor Racing and in Auto GP with DAMS, having been 2009 BMW Pacific Champion and then a part of the Marussia F1 Team Young Driver Programme for the past two years. Haryanto made his feeder series début when he competed in last November's post-season
GP2 Final exhibition event at Abu Dhabi for DAMS.
"I am looking forward to my first year in the Series with the Marussia Carlin
GP2 Team," said Haryanto, who turned 19 last month. "The first year in
GP2 will be a steep learning curve but I will be trying to learn as much as possible and aim for consistent results. I am looking forward to the challenge!"
Haryanto picked up two race wins in GP3 last season - the feature race at the Nurburgring and the sprint race in Hungary - and finished on the podium in both of the final weekend's races at Monza. He picked up another race win in Auto GP with victory in the second Valencia race, and finished on the podium in the last race of the year at Mugello.
"Rio is an extremely welcome addition to the team," said the team's racing director Trevor Carlin. "He is still very young but having watched him first hand in GP3 last year, I'm sure we'll see some exciting racing from him this year."
Haryanto will be racing alongside Max Chilton, who debuted in
GP2 in 2010 with Ocean Racing Technology and who as part of Carlin's 2011
GP2 campaign managed to finish in the points in both of the series races at Monaco, as well as the sprint race at the Nurburgring.
"I'm very excited about the season ahead in GP2," said Chilton. "I can't wait to get back on track and build on the progress we've made over the winter."
Chilton, 20, admitted to being a little disappointed about how his sophomore season in
GP2 had ended up going. "We didn't get the results we'd hoped for last season," he said, but added that in his view: "We had a very good car," which he expected to be even better in 2012.
"We're extremely happy to have Max staying with us for a second season in the
GP2 Series," said Trevor Carlin. "He developed hugely as a driver in 2011 and regular podium positions should be the aim for him in 2012," he added, making clear his and the team's expectations of the 20-year-old driver from Reigate in the coming season.
Carlin also announced a new technical partnership with Marussia F1 that sees the team adopt the Marussia name and livery in
GP2 in 2012. [
See full story]
"To be racing in Marussia livery makes the season ahead even more exciting," said Chilton. "As a driver I'm delighted to be associated with such a young and promising F1 team."
Haryanto and Chilton will get their first outing in the car this year next week, when the first official pre-season testing is scheduled in
Jerez between February 28 and March 1.
The start of the season itself is scheduled for Sepang in Malaysia on March 24-25.
