Haryanto dropped from Manor race driver line-up
Manor Racing has confirmed Rio Haryanto is to be relegated to the role of reserve driver after failing to meet contractual obligations to see out the remainder of the 2016 Formula 1 season.
The 23 year-old, who became the first Indonesian driver to start in F1 earlier this season, originally joined Manor on an 11-race deal with a view to raising enough funds to keep him in the seat for the second-half of the season.
However, though Manor allowed him to remain on board for an additional race in Germany, it has now confirmed that Haryanto has not met the financial demands necessary to retain his race drive seat, though he has been offered a reserve role.
"Rio has been a much-valued member of our team since January, when we signed a contract with him for this season," said racing director Dave Ryan. "Some time ago, his management indicated that they were experiencing difficulties honouring the obligations of that contract beyond the Hungarian Grand Prix.
"Rio's team have worked tirelessly to try to resolve that situation with his Indonesian backers and we have supported those efforts as much as possible, including allowing Rio to race in Germany. Unfortunately we reached a point where, in the best interests of the team, we were forced to explore other options for the remainder of the season.
"We are very pleased to continue our support for Rio's Formula 1 ambitions, by offering him a Reserve Driver role for the rest of the current season. We very much hope that he will accept that offer."
