Esteban Ocon replaces Rio Haryanto at Manor - Sponsorship issues force Rio into reserve
Published by Christine
It’s not the ideal news to get during your summer break, but Rio Haryanto has had to accept a demotion to reserve driver at the Manor Racing team. The squad confirmed they were terminating their contract with the Indonesian driver after his sponsors failed to come through with the funds required to keep his seat. In an effort not to destroy the racer’s dreams, Manor offered him a reserve driver role, which he has accepted.
In the meantime, Esteban Ocon has been drafted in to replace Haryanto for the rest of the season, partnering Pascal Wehrlein. Ocon is a Mercedes junior, but has more recently been the test and reserve driver for Renault, so both Cyril Abiteboul and Toto Wolff have had their say about this opportunity.
Esteban himself, though, says: “I’ve visited the Manor Technical Centre already, for my seat fit and to meet with the wider team, so we’ll be ready to hit the ground running after the summer break. They’ve done a great job this season and I’m excited that I’ve been tasked with helping them build on that progress.”
