Hartley: ‘I feel ready’
Kiwi ace excited to get chance in F1 ranks, writes Richard Knowler.
As a kid who grew up racing karts in Palmerston North, Brendon Hartley dared to dream big.
He only needed to cast his eyes around his bedroom, where he had pinned pictures and autographs of Kiwi motor racing heroes such as Chris Amon, Denny Hulme and Bruce McLaren to his walls, to find inspiration.
Now that he is poised to make his Formula One debut for Toro Rosso at the US Grand Prix next week, Hartley, 27, can allow himself to reflect on a career that has been peppered with its fair share of peaks and troughs.
Having joined Red Bull in 2006 when he was just 16, after New Zealand motor racing stalwart Kenny Smith put some feelers out into the international racing scene, Hartley worked his way up to being the reserve driver in 2009 and 2010 before being cut from the junior driver development programme.
It was a tough time for Hartley. Upon reflection he later realised he wasn’t mature enough and said he began to lose his enjoyment for the sport. With that came a loss of confidence and he didn’t get the results he so badly wanted.
So to get recalled by the Red Bull-owned team was understandably a massive thrill.
‘‘I didn’t really expect to get another opportunity,’’ Hartley told Radio Sport.
Although he was still testing in F1 on simulators, he wasn’t sure if he would get another shot.
‘‘I hadn’t given up but part of me thought it was going to be tough. I guess this story shows you never should give up and dreams can come true. It is all cliche what I am saying but that is the truth of it, that is how it has happened.’’
Hartley is poised to be the ninth Kiwi to get behind the wheel of an F1 car and the first since Mike Thackwell in 1984 when he replaces Frenchman Pierre Gasly at the Circuit of Americas track in Austin.
While reluctant to get into a discussion as to whether this appointment could lead to him being recalled to Red Bull on a fulltime basis, Hartley said he had no doubt he was a much better driver than when last worked with the team.
He felt he had proved himself with Porsche in the World Endurance Championship and appreciated the help he received from team-mates such as Mark Webber.
So when he made a call to Red Bull racing consultant Helmut Marco earlier this year, he wanted to make it clear he felt he could offer great value in F1.
‘‘I said ‘listen if there is ever an opportunity, I feel ready now’,’’ Hartley said.
He didn’t hear anything for three or four months, until he got an unexpected call this week.
‘‘Absolutely, I am ready,’’ he said. ‘‘I am not as young as some of the other guys … but I have such a wealth of experience.
‘‘I don’t want to give myself too many expectations for the weekend, but I guess I am as ready as I could be for an unexpected opportunity like this.’’
Hartley, who is currently in Japan with the Porsche team, said he felt emotional when he received a message from Amon’s son James who said his late father would have been proud of what he had achieved.
‘‘I am very aware of the history,’’ Hartley stated. ‘‘There are all these thing I am trying not to think of, but am very aware of. It’s going to be really special to me. It has come as a bit of a shock to everyone … it has happened very fast over the last week.
‘‘When I line up on that Formula One grid for the first time I am sure there will be quite a few emotions.
‘‘I feel ready for it, honestly; I feel up to it. I am excited, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous. But I feel ready.’’
It has come as a bit of a shock to everyone … it has happened very fast over the last week. Brendon Hartley