F1 driver Rio Haryanto and Ambassador
Wening Esthyprobo
Formula One motor racing and reggae music had a rare coming together at the Indonesian Embassy in Budapest last week, and a fair amount of national pride was involved.
Rio Haryanto, a 23-year-old born in Surakarta, Java, is Indonesia’s first F1 driver and he was in the city to race in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. Ras Muhamad was born in Jakarta in 1982 and has become known as “Indonesian Reggae Ambassador”. He is here to perform at Sziget on August 14. The two appeared side by side at a “Meet and greet” and press conference.
Indonesia’s Ambassador to Hungary, Wening Esthyprobo, introduced them, saying the two talented voung compatriots have extraordinary qualities that are bringing international fame to their country. She said Haryanto is a superstar in Indonesia, being one of only 22 F1 drivers in the world and having made the sacrifice of leaving his family at home to pursue his career worldwide. Ambassador Esthyprobo said Muhamad has five albums to his name and is in Europe for a number of concerts.
Haryanto drives for the Manor Racing team, having worked his way up from go-karting at the age of six years. At only 15 he entered the Formula Asia 2.0 racing competition in 2008 then won the Formula BMW Pacific championship in 2009.
With hard work and no little risk to life and limb, this was followed by Auto GP then GP3 and GP2 Series, before making his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix in March this year.
As an F1 rookie, Haryanto has a highest placing of 15th in the 10 grand prix so far this year, pre-Hungary. Subsequently, he came 21st of the 22 at the Hungaroring on Sunday. Still, we heard at the press conference, he has made a great impression in 2016 and has the respect of the whole paddock.
And at least one unabashed female admirer, who asked him on the microphone at the embassy if he has a girlfriend. Unfortunately Haryanto had to disappoint her with his reply in the affirmative.
Indonesian Reggae Ambassador
Ras Muhamad
Ras Muhamad was born Muhamad Egar and moved with his parents to the US in the early 1990s for a dozen years or so before returning home some five years ago.
He first began performing reggae as a teenager living in the Queens borough of New York, and while still in high school formed his first band. Muhamad was chosen by Rolling Stone magazine Indonesia as Best New Reggae Artist in 2008. He has spiritual motivations and his songs are about money, corruption and political leadership.
The singer is using a pick-up Hungarian band, Budapest Riddim Band, for his European performances, which include Poland, Germany, Italy, Slovakia and Sziget.
Muhamad is a full-on Rastafari with dreadlocks piled high – unfurled they reach his ankles – and he has been to Ethiopia, homeland of Rastafari messiah Haile Selassie, and Jamaica, reggae’s heartland that produced his idols Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.
Asked by The Budapest Times if the roll-up ciggie he was enjoying in the embassy garden might have been spiced up with a little “herb”, he replied “Not here”.
