Hartley is driving for his F1 future
DURING this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, a New Zealand driver will return to the Formula 1 grid for the first time in more than 30 years.
Although it’s obvious that Brendon Hartley’s debut for Toro Rosso at the Circuit of the Americas will be the biggest race in his career, there’s an added significance.
Following the Japanese Grand Prix, five days before it was first announced Hartley would race in the US, Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost told media that his two current race drivers – Russia’s Daniil Kvyat and France’s Pierre Gasly – wouldn’t necessarily be driving for the team during the 2018 season.
‘‘So far, next year is open,’’ Franz Tost told Motorsport.com about his 2018 driver line up on October 9. ‘‘Let’s wait now for what’s going on in Austin.’’
Then, when Motorsport.com first reported that Hartley might replace the unavailable Gasly for the US Grand Prix, reporter Lawrence Barretto wrote, ‘‘Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost wants to use Austin as an opportunity to evaluate a new driver as he weighs up his 2018 driver lineup.’’
In a basic sense, Tost suggested – and the biggest motorsport publication since echoed it – the US Grand Prix will serve as an evaluation of Hartley’s potential, and if he is ready for a full time Formula 1 drive in 2018.
So with potentially major implications riding on Hartley’s result this weekend, it’s rather fortunate that his team-mate – the only man who he’ll be directly compared to in Austin – will be Russia’s Kvyat.
That’s becausel Kvyat is under even more pressure than Hartley himself. In 14 races throughout 2017, Kvyat has managed to score a meagre four points, virtue of two ninth place finishes. By comparison, Kvyat’s original teammate, Carlos Sainz, scored a whopping 48 points over the same time period.
And as well as not scoring regular points, Kvyat’s reputation has been tainted throughout 2017 due to multiple first lap incidents – factors which eventually contributed to Toro Rosso standing him down from Formula 1 racing in late September.
Crucially, this weekend’s United States Grand Prix will be Kvyat’s first race back in Toro Rosso since he was ‘rested’ to make way for Gasly.
Kvyat hasn’t raced competitively in more than a month – Hartley’s last race was just one week ago.
If you want to picture the sort of feelings going through Kvyat’s mind – just envision yourself returning to the big sports team after you’ve been publicly told that you weren’t good enough...
There’s no denying the Russian will be lacking confidence and feeling under the pump to perform, especially since he doesn’t want to be beaten by a man who hasn’t sat in a Formula 1 car for five years.
But whether Hartley really does has a chance to replace Kvyat for 2018 is still unclear. The theory is somewhat helped when you consider that Hartley will be out of a job at the end of 2017.
The New Zealander’s current World Endurance Championship team, Porsche, will depart the category at the end of 2017 to focus on their Formula E program, GETTY IMAGES which isn’t expected to be racing until 2019.
Effectively, Hartley will be a free agent for 2018 Tost has already suggested that the team doesn’t want to retain Kvyat.
It also doesn’t make much sense for Toro Rosso to keep Kvyat. The team is only on the Formula 1 grid to serve as a proving ground for young drivers who want to eventually get a drive with Toro Rosso’s owners, Red Bull Racing.
In fact, Red Bull’s current drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, both started their careers with the Toro Rosso team.
Kvyat was put up to the Red Bull team in 2015, but after Verstappen’s impressive performances the Russian was dropped and put back down to Toro Rosso.
So quite simply, if Hartley really can outrace Kvyat this weekend, or finish in the top 10, it’s likely Hartley’s career, and New Zealand’s involvement in motorsport, could change forever. Steven Walton writes regularly for the Formula 1 blog Green Flag F1 Supercars report - p27