Manor F1 rookie Rio Haryanto admits he must learn fast after errors
Manor rookie Rio Haryanto knows he needs to learn quickly from his mistakes after being involved in his first crash in Formula 1
After spinning on his first day on Wednesday, Haryanto "ran a little bit too hot into Turn 4" at Barcelona's Catalunya circuit on Thursday as he tried to find the limits of the MRT05.
It resulted in the car spinning into the tyre wall and sustaining rear-wing damage, bringing his running to an end with two and a half hours of the day remaining.
With just four days of testing overall before he makes his grand prix debut in Australia next month, the 23-year-old Indonesian is aware has to swiftly find his feet.
"I am here pushing to get the maximum out of myself and the car. You saw today I made a mistake. I have to learn from that, and not repeat it again the next time," said Haryanto.
"But I'm getting more confident with the team, and my relationship with the engineers is improving day by day.
"I'm learning, and there are two more days for me, so I'll try to do my best, to learn as much as I can before the first grand prix.
"Hopefully by the end of the tests next week I'll feel a lot more comfortable.
"Yesterday I was still learning a lot with the team, but today I felt there was a step.
"Day by day I will get used to it, which is why I believe there is a lot more to come from me because I am still very new to the car."
With an all-rookie line-up, as Pascal Wehrlein partners Haryanto, Manor faces a tricky balancing act in that its drivers need time to get up to speed while the team needs to learn quickly about the car.
Racing director Dave Ryan remains unconcerned.
"Obviously Pascal has come in from winning the [DTM] championship," he said.
"He's done a lot of mileage in a Formula 1 car, and the class car on the grid, so he has a lot of experience, and he knows what to expect.
"So for him it's probably been the transition to Manor that has been the bigger issue.
"Rio on the other hand is the opposite. He's making the move up for the first time, so pretty different approaches.
"But both are great kids and it's good having them around. I'm enjoying it."
Previous article
Mercedes' F1 testing performance a big warning - Felipe Massa
Next article
Haas has long list of things to fix after its F1 testing debut
How F1’s other champion to emerge from 1991 thrived at Lotus
Mika Hakkinen became Michael Schumacher’s biggest rival in Formula 1 in the late-90s and early 2000s, having also made his F1 debut in 1991. But as MARK GALLAGHER recalls, while Schumacher wowed the world with a car that was eminently capable, Hakkinen was fighting to make his mark with a famous team in terminal decline
The forgotten F1 comeback that began Jordan’s odyssey
Before Michael Schumacher – or anyone else – had driven the 191 (or 911 as it was initially called), Eddie Jordan turned to a fellow Irishman to test his new Formula 1 car. JOHN WATSON, a grand prix winner for Penske and McLaren, recalls his role in the birth of a legend…
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
How Verstappen is ruining his F1 title battle with Hamilton
OPINION: The Italian GP clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen followed a running theme in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight. Their close-quarters battles have often resulted in contact - and although Hamilton has shown a willingness to back off, Verstappen must learn to temper his aggression
