Satrio Hermanto has improved his chances of securing a full-time drive with A1 Team Indonesia after a successful test in the car at
Snetterton.
Currently, Hermanto races in the Formula Renault V6 Asia, making the 550bhp A1GP car the fastest he has ever driven, but despite his inexperience, the 23-year old acquitted himself well.
Indeed, A1 Team Indonesia General Manager John Allen claims he was pleased with the way in which Hermanto conducted himself around the Norfolk circuit.
“The programme here at Snetterton was to offer a young Indonesian driver the chance to get acquainted with the power and speed of an A1GP car and the opportunity to work alongside our experienced team.
”We were not expecting Satrio to push too hard, or to feel we were expecting fast lap times from him. However during the two day test he showed considerable natural speed and maturity in the car. He drove in both wet and dry weather conditions over the two days and coped well with the changing handling characteristics of the car.
”The feedback the team received from Satrio reflected the data, and he consistently impressed us with his ability to gain confidence and pace out on track. On the second morning he drove over 100 laps and didn't put a foot wrong.”
Indeed, Hermanto was delighted to be given the opportunity to test with the team and is hoping he will be able to get more time in the car as the third A1 GP season nears.
”It's been a fantastic experience which has been a real eye-opener. The brakes are outstanding, there's more downforce than I'm used to, and the sheer power underneath me was just jaw dropping. I just want to get back in the car for more.”
Zahir Ali, who currently competes in the Asian Formula
BMW series, was also due to test this week at Snetterton, however visa constraints resulted in him being unable to fly and participate. The team is hopeful there will be another opportunity for Ali to sample the A1GP car.
![Ananda Mikola (INA) - A1 Team Indonesia [Pic credit: A1GP Media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/310107.jpg)
