Hartley ready for Formula E
New Zealand driver Brendon Hartley is ready to jump into Porsche’s Formula E development programme.
Hartley, axed by Formula 1 team Toro Rosso, has been retained by Porsche and is seen as a key figure for their move into the rapidly developing electric circuit, scheduled for the 2019-20 season.
Porsche have already named Swiss star Neel Jani as the first of their two drivers for the Formula E championship and he was behind the wheel last week when they rolled out their new car for track testing at their Weissach base in Germany.
Hartley has just returned to endurance racing and showed his class by picking up two podiums in Florida last weekend.
He’s eager to drive Porsche’s latest project.
‘‘I’m going to be heavily involved in the development of the car and have already spent a few days in the simulator,’’ Hartley told Austosport.
‘‘I’m looking forward to driving the car, which should be quite soon.’’
A spokesman for Porsche told Autosport: ‘‘Brendon remains under contract, so it makes sense to use his experience on the FE programme.’’
Whether Hartley can get the second driver’s position on the Porsche team still remains to be seen.
Porsche will move to Circuit Mallorca in Spain at the end of March for a further two days of testing and also intend to use the Calafat track on the Spanish mainland.
Under Formula E rules they are only allowed 15 days of ontrack testing ahead of official preseason testing later in the year.
Hartley has a busy schedule for 2019 despite his Formula 1 disappointment.
On top of his Porsche deal he has been signed by Ferrari as a simulator driver and intends to expand his endurance racing.
Hartley will re-join his No 11 SMP Racing team for the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship round at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium in May.