At the Starting Line

Administrator

As he entered turn four at the Catalunya circuit in Barcelona, Spain, during a Formula 1 preseason test race two weeks ago, Rio Haryanto had to make a split decision to control of the car. He decided to adjust the differential settings.

Alas, the move turned out to be a mistakea small mistake, but one with serious consequences. The car spun out of control as its speed plunged from 250 kilometers to 140 kilometers per hour. "I was wrong. I wanted to maintain both speed and trip," Rio said when contacted by phone in Singapore last Thursday.

Rio is still learning. He admits to being shocked by the major differences in steering-wheel settings. "In GP2, you have to go to the pit stop first to change the settings. It is different in F1, where you have so many buttons that you can adjust while driving," he explained.

He said, in the test race, for example, he had to change the 'energy development' setting to fuel-saving mode. "So, if you want to chase cars out front, you can set the fuel level you need, and then reset it to 'fuel efficiency mode' after outstripping them," he said.

The same is true for entering a turn. The balance has to be adjusted with settings that control the rear wheels. "For instance, when turning right, the left wheel rolls faster than the right one. There, if you don't use the differential map, the left wheel can 'lock up'. The setting allows the left wheel to roll more freely," he added.

Barcelona is not the first time Rio has been in an F1 driver's seat. He has taken part in three F1 tests, once each in 2010, 2012 and 2015. This time, however, was a bit different. "In previous tests, I was only learning to drive without having to play with all the settings," he said.

Rio pointed out that GP2 race cars had just five buttons; upshift, downshift, break and balance and another button to communicate with his team. "I'm still trying to get used to the F1 system," he said.

The Manor racing director has praised Rio for his steady progress over the course of the preseason testing. "He is a talented driver. I'm sure he will do a really good job for us," he said at Manor's official website, adding that Rio had a great opportunity to grow with Manor, which now uses Mercedes engines. "But he has to adapt himself first."

After trying out Manor's MRT05, a Mercedes-Benz PU106C powered Hybrid, on four occasions, Rio said the car was capable of going 2-4 seconds faster than the previous cars. "I am quite impressed. This car has potential and I'm sure they will continue to improve the machine throughout the season."

Rio was also impressed with the work ethic of his new team, which consists of 40-50 people working around the clock. They work in two shifts; the first from 6:00am to 6:00pm, the second from 6:00pm to 6:00am. "I must memorize the names, as there are many and I will be working closely with them," Rio said.

Rio's routines have also changed since joining the F1 community. In the preseason testing, he would arrive at the circuit by 7:30am before a half-hour with the 20-30 member engineering team.

Then, two sessions of practice would start; one from 9:00am to 1:00pm and another from 2pm to 6pm. After the practice, Rio would give 15 minutes of interviews with journalists before another 15-minute briefing, followed by dinner. Rio would return to his hotel sometime around 9:00pm.

The schedule is so tight that Sinyo Haryanto and Indah Pennywati only get to see their son at lunch.

"In the 10 minutes that I had during the lunch break, I tried not to talk about things that could ruin his positive mind," Indah said in Senayan last Tuesday.

The situation is a drastic change from Rio's GP2 tour days, where the family could sit and chat after the morning briefing. Indah said they did not have that luxury in F1.

In Barcelona, Rio said he felt time was moving fast. "I was really busy at the garage. Next week, I'll be in Melbourne. So it's really tight. I have to get used to everything quick so I'll be better prepared for Melbourne."

There are many things Rio will need to do in preparation for the Grand Prix F1 Australia, set to be held at the Albert Park circuit, on March 18-20. He is currently learning about Albert Park's unique characteristics through an onboard simulator video. Albert Park is said to be low-grip, making the use of differential settings crucial. Rio said he had been discussing strategy intensely with the team.

He will also have to train. In an F1 race car, forces can reach between four and six Gs, much higher than the GP2, which has G forces of between three to four. Physical training, therefore, focuses on the feet and neck to ingrain flexibility. "Neck muscles have to be strengthened. The workouts are cardio, and a specific routine for neck, shoulders, back and feet to get stronger.," Rio explained.

Rina Widiastuti, Gadi Makitan

Manor Team

Stephen Fitzpatrick
Team owner

Pascal Wehrlein
Main racer

Rio Haryanto
Second racer

Dave Ryan
Race director

Nikolas Tombazis
Aerodynamics chief

John McQuilliam
Technical director