Manor reserve driver Rio Haryanto is targeting a return to a Formula One race seat next season but not necessarily with the team that gave him his first chance.
Haryanto started this season racing in the Manor alongside fellow newcomer Pascal Wehrlein after his representatives agreed a deal with the team to use the Indonesian for at least the first 11 races of the 2016 season.
It actually ended up being 12 races but he was eventually replaced by Esteban Ocon after the funding to secure Haryanto’s drive dried up.
He was made Manor’s reserve driver for the rest of this season, as his management look to secure further funding to ensure he has a future in Formula One beyond 2016.
“It’s a shame that I couldn’t do the full season with Manor this year, but all in all, I’m still here to learn,” Haryanto told Motorsport.com.
“It’s going very well and I’m currently working to get back for next year, for sure.
“There are some good options. I think the chances are still, I’d say, 50/50. We’ll see, I hope there will be some good news coming.”
When it was put to him if his future lay with Manor or elsewhere in the paddock Haryanto said: “We’re looking at a few options. For sure, one of them is Manor.”
Despite the lack of race seats available for 2017, he is focusing on making it in F1 and is yet to look at other series.
“I still haven’t really looked at other categories, the main priority is I want to be in Formula 1,” he said.
