A cloud may already be hanging above Rio Haryanto's new race seat at Manor. The 23-year-old rookie secured the drive when his sponsor, the Indonesian state-owned oil company Pertamina, lodged a EUR 5 million downpayment.

But it is rumoured Manor has been promised a further $15 million from the Haryanto camp across the remainder of 2016. "We're going to see the first Melbourne race, and what's going to happen in the first half of the season," Haryanto's manager Piers Hunnisett said last week.

Now, Indonesia's national news agency Antara reports that the country's national motor association (IMI DKI) will try to help the Haryanto camp to raise money. "IMI DKI is still designing a solidarity system such as through sale of merchandises of all championships held under IMI to support Rio Haryanto," chairman Alfonsus Judiarto said on Wednesday.

"The government has tried to help using the national budget," he added, "but the procedure for it is complicated and the idea has caused pros and cons. We hope private parties would contribute to help Rio."

In a separate media report, manager Hunnisett was quoted as denying that Haryanto's seat is in danger. Hunnisett did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (GMM)