Rio Haryanto was happy with the progress made on the opening day of in-season testing at Silverstone.
The Manor Racing driver drove the MRT05 after the British Grand Prix on Tuesday and completed a total of 64 laps. He finished the session in ninth behind his regular team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, who was driving for Mercedes AMG PETRONAS, with Haryanto finishing with a quickest time of 1:35.631.
Despite the weather, Haryanto believes the day was a success for the Manor team, with the main focus of the day for the Indonesian driver to understand the way the car felt running in different mechanical set-ups.
“Yes, we’ve had a busy programme of development work to get through today and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to complete that,” said Haryanto. “This morning was very smooth because the conditions were more favourable, then this afternoon the weather turned and it has stayed pretty damp since.
“Today has been less about performance and outright pace, and more about understanding the way the car felt running the car in different mechanical set-ups and with new aero developments.”
Haryanto was pleased with the opportunity to test new developments before introducing them in the next couple of races
“They seem to be a positive step,” said Haryanto. “So it’s good to get the chance to evaluate these properly before we introduce them over the next races.
“It’s a step by step approach – a bit here, a little more there – and I’m sure we will see them having a positive influence on performance as we work our way through the second half of the season.”
Development Driver Jordan King will take over from Haryanto on the final day of testing at Silverstone.
