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Former Formula 1 driver Rio Haryanto will make his full-time racing return in the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia series this year.
Haryanto is set to contest all six rounds of the series’ 2019 schedule, which features current F1 tracks Suzuka and Shanghai, as well as former grand prix venues Sepang and Korea’s Yeongam.
The 26-year-old Indonesian, a race winner in GP2 and GP3, drove for the now-defunct Manor team in 2016 alongside Pascal Wehrlein.
He recorded a best finish of 15th at the Monaco Grand Prix before losing his seat to Esteban Ocon just 12 races into the season.
After dropping off the F1 grid, Haryanto tested Formula E and Super Formula machinery in 2017.
He left it until 2018 to make his racing comeback, taking fifth place and first in class in an Audi R8 LMS GT4 in the new 888km SIC888 endurance race at Shanghai.
Haryanto will now drive a Ferrari 488 GT3 in his newly-confirmed Blancpain campaign, as he links up with Singaporean outfit T2 Motorsports.
He will be part of a Pro-Am entry, with team manager Gregory Teo and David Tjiptobiantoro taking turns partnering the Indonesian in the car.
The team made its debut in the series two years ago, and Teo believes the new line-up will be “capable of scoring victories”.
