Manor driver Rio Haryanto says it is “a shame” the team’s running was curtailed early on the final day of the opening pre-season F1 test, admitting it was driver error that caused him to go off track.
The Indonesian was at the wheel of the MRT05 for the second time but a mistake caused him to spin into the gravel trap and hit the wall mid-way through the afternoon session.
Haryanto ended the day 11th on the timesheets and still managed 51 laps of important running on the final day of the first test. He says he learned a lot and is pleased with what Manor achieved at the four-day event.
"It’s been an important week for me and the team here in Barcelona and generally it’s gone well," the GP2 race winner explained.
"I’ve learned a lot about the new car and identified some areas for improvement, to make the second test even more positive for me.
"I did make a mistake this afternoon and the damage to the car could not be repaired quickly, so it’s a shame we didn’t complete our programme today. Generally though, we’ve achieved a lot of mileage and completed some good evaluation work.
"I’ve started to build a nice relationship with Manor Racing and also our Mercedes HPP and Williams teammates, so my thanks to everyone for helping me make a good start to my debut F1 season. I’m looking forward to making more progress next week."
