Manor Racing Executive Director Abdulla Boulsien :
It's Rio's Chance to Reach the Highest Level
In early February, when the future of Indonesian racer Rio Haryanto in Formula 1 was in doubt, Manor Racing executive director Abdulla Boulsien visited Indonesia. He met with Minister of Youth and Sports Imam Nahrawi and Pertamina, the state-owned oil company sponsoring Rio. Following the meetings, Boulsien declined to comment.
Now after the speculation is over and Rio has secured a Manor seat, Abdulla Boulsien agreed to correspond with Tempo by email. He replied to several questions regarding the recruitment process for Rio and another new racer Pascal Wehrlein.
In early February, when the future of Indonesian racer Rio Haryanto in Formula 1 was in doubt, Manor Racing executive director Abdulla Boulsien visited Indonesia. He met with Minister of Youth and Sports Imam Nahrawi and Pertamina, the state-owned oil company sponsoring Rio. Following the meetings, Boulsien declined to comment.
Now after the speculation is over and Rio has secured a Manor seat, Abdulla Boulsien agreed to correspond with Tempo by email. He replied to several questions regarding the recruitment process for Rio and another new racer Pascal Wehrlein.
How important is signing an Indonesian/Asian driver to Manor?
It is important and exciting for the team, for Rio and for Indonesia. Rio is a good driver and at Manor we like to give young talent a chance to develop at the highest levels of motorsport. It is also significant because Indonesia is an important market for motorsport and the potential for growth is significant.
Can you tell us about your visit to Jakarta in February?
I came to meet a number of ministers and had fruitful discussions about our partnership. Your fellow countrymen are excellent hosts and I was warmly welcomed. I had not realized how truly popular Rio was.
How do you see the potential of the Asian or Southeast Asian market and sponsorship after Rio was signed on by Manor?
We have yet to see but all the signs are positive. Rio is certainly a very beloved sportsman in his home country, but we must give him space to do what he does best, race.
What did Manor see in Rio Haryanto so that you offered him a contract?
His ability, experience and the strong support from the Indonesian government.
You have hired experienced people to help Manor and received technical assistance from Mercedes. With two young drivers, what are the odds of becoming a middle runner this season?
Let's see. We're excited about the months ahead but there is still a lot of work to do. We're a small team and we have to work harder than the other much larger teams, but we're ambitious and focused.
How different is the atmosphere of the team compared to the last season?
Very different. The year 2015 was one of consolidation and putting in place longer-term foundations. We knew before the season started where we would finish most races because we were racing with 2014 cars and engines, so to a certain extent it was planned. We brought in some new senior management and complemented them with key hires in a number of areas. This fresh blood complements our very solid core team, many of whom have been with the team since its birth.
With the result of the preseason test in Barcelona out, what do you expect in Melbourne?
We will race as hard as we can and deliver the best results we can. It is not about Melbourne. It is about the way we progress, learn and improve throughout the season. In F1, almost anything can happen and we hope to make our mark.