Rio Haryanto insists he must be back on the Formula One grid next year if he is to continue his F1 career.
Indonesia's first F1 driver lost his seat at Manor over the summer break, being replaced by Esteban Ocon once his funding dried up, but he has now said he is working on a return.
"Of course there is a chance to get back again," Haryanto told Reuters. "We are working hard to get the seat back. It has to be next year."
"When it comes to releasing the money, when you’ve got housing problems and education and health issues, it is difficult to justify. We have got some more leads now with other sponsors, non-government, where it’s easier to work with.
"The good thing is that Rio is the only driver from Asia, so from a marketing point of view...up until Germany, we were just starting to make inroads into other markets -- China, Thailand, Malaysia. The interest was growing."
Haryanto's manager Piers Hunisett revealed that Haryanto has some new backers, this time not from the state.
"When it comes to releasing the money, when you’ve got housing problems and education and health issues, it is difficult to justify. We have got some more leads now with other sponsors, non-government, where it’s easier to work with," he said.
"The good thing is that Rio is the only driver from Asia, so from a marketing point of view...up until Germany, we were just starting to make inroads into other markets -- China, Thailand, Malaysia. The interest was growing."
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He did well, so I think he deserves a chance, but sadly the only way for him to reenter would be to pay up.