Hartley has a solid day in Melbourne

Kiwi F1 Toro Rosso racer gets better as practice day goes on

Like any rule change, it takes a while to get used to it, but already now, it starts to become almost normal. Brendon Hartley on the new safety halo

The place on the timing board might not look impressive but Kiwi racer Brendon Hartley enjoyed a solid day during practice for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne yesterday.

The 28-year-old completed the two 90-minute practice sessions and posted the 16th fastest time in the latter session at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne.

He struggled in the first session where car trouble saw him spend a lot of time in the pit box and when he finally had a push lap, he ran wide at the final corner and lost nearly a second. He ended up 18th fastest in that one.

Things went better for the Le Mans 24 Hour winner in practice two, however, as he ran inside the top 10 midway through the session before ultimately finishing with the 16th fastest time.

There was very little separating the mid-pack teams during the day.

World champion Lewis Hamilton posted the fastest time in both sessions, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was second in both.

Yesterday’s times still don’t give a true indication of where each car is at with different tyres and fuel loads being spread throughout the field.

It meant that there were few opportunities to make direct comparisons between cars.

Hartley also completed his first competitive laps outside the winter tests with the new halo safety feature fitted to his Toro Rosso car.

Drivers and pundits have complained about the aesthetics being affected by its introduction, while it also obstructs the amount of vision drivers can see from within the car.

Having spent plenty of time in the cockpit of the Porsche LMP1 car in the World Endurance Championship, he has some experience with a limited field of vision.

“From the outside, it is not very visually pleasing,” Hartley said. “Luckily when you are sitting in the car, you don’t see it — we actually look through it, so from my perspective, it is invisible.

“It is a bit tricky to get in and out of the car, but it is there for a reason. It is there to protect our heads.

“There have been fatalities in the past and in other formulas from flying objects.

“We know why it is there. Like any rule change in Formula 1, it takes a while to get used to it, but already now after testing, it starts to become almost normal to see it there.”

Hartley will take part in another practice session this morning before qualifying later in the day.