Top 9 Interesting Facts about Brendon Hartley

Brendon Hartley photo by Pg –Wikimedia

Top 9 Interesting Facts about Brendon Hartley

Brandon Hartley is a professional racing driver who joined the racing scene back in 2008.

He is currently competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota Gazoo Racing.

Brendon is a racer with a myriad of talents but he particularly shines in racing and has accomplished several achievements for his young age.

He won the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, together with his teammates Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard.

He was 19 when he joined the racing realm, a shy young boy who followed the footsteps of his father Brian.

Here are the top 9 interesting facts about Brendon Hartley.

1. He was raised in a sports family

Born in Palmerston North on November 10, 1989, his family was well-webbed in the sport of motor racing.

His father, Brian was a renowned racing driver who participated in many forms of motorsport such as Formula Atlantic.

Every big dream began with baby steps crawling behind it and for Hartley, his early practice came in the form of kart racing at the age of four or six.

He looked up to his brother, Nelson whose tracks he followed from childhood to catch up to the achievements he left behind.

In admiring his brother, Hartley realized his big brother was faster and he described this as the sole motivation for always wanting to win no matter what.

In 2003, the young Hartley was awarded that’s years New Zealand Formula Ford festival, this yielded in him receiving a drive for the following year’s Formula Ford Championship.

2. He has won the championship title in the Euro Cup

Hartley moved to Europe to compete in the Euro Cup Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup just after a season in Formula Toyota New Zealand.

With a strong desire for winning, he finished 14^th and 10^th  in the drivers’  championship in the Euro Cup and the northern Cup respectively.

His presence lingered in the Euro Cup and he saw his second year in Formula Renault with a short shift from NEC to the Italian Championship to expand his horizons of possibilities.

He managed to catch three wins in the Euro cup and the podiums in the Italian Championship, this amazing result earned him the Championship title in the Euro Cup and many who watched his demeanor during that season would agree he deserved it after displaying his superior abilities during the competitions.

3. He played in the Masters of Formula Three in 2007

24h Le Mans 2014 photo by Neuwieser –Wikimedia

Hartley begin his exciting career at a young age and progressed quickly in the field of racing, in 2007 he embarked on his Formula three debut in the Masters of Formula 3 at Zolder event.

The masters of Formula three is a race held annually and as a result of Boise restrictions the 2007 to 2008 races were held in the Belgian circuit of Zolder, Hartley finished the race 4^th, a good position in the race.

This achievement led him to a test with A1 Team New Zealand and the rope of the rookie driver for the series. This was quite an achievement on his part as the A1 Team New Zealand is an international racing series.

 4. He was dropped From the Red Bull Junior Team

Hartley was progressing smoothly in his career and racing in a line to success, in 2010 he was signed at Tech 1 for a full Season of Formula Renault 3.5.

He was noted by Australian and fellow Red Bull Junior driver, Daniel Ricciardo who is notoriously famous for his prickly character and his demand for perfection.

It was a positive result to be included in the team and more so encouraging that he was handpicked by the famous Ricciardo, but sadly the limelight was cut short on Hartley as he was dropped during the summer break series.

His seat was handed over to Jean _ Erick Vergen, a British Formula 3 Championship Leader. This loss was a big blow to the young racer and he described in an interview the experience,

“There were no hard feelings because I had a dark period where I lost confidence, I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t performing well so it was almost a sign of relief, Hartley told ESPN”.

It was this failure that pushed him to seek new ventures and like a Phoenix, he went on to establish a new reputation in sports car racing as soon he joined Porsches Illustrious World Endurance Championship Outfit in 2014.

5. He was the first New Zealander to achieve F1 driver Status

Brendon_Hartley_2014_WEC_Fuji photo by Morio-Wikimedia

Hartley made a comeback in the 2009 season as he was appointed as an official reserve driver for both the Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso teams.

He was held back by a delay in getting a mandatory super license which was not approved till April 2009, he was temporarily replaced by retired F1 driver David Coulthard for the first races that took place in Melbourne and Sepang.

F1 is described as the highest class open-wheeled auto racing which is defined by the Federation International de I’ Automobile. Hartley debuted as a reserve and test driver at the Spanish Grand Prix on May 8^th.

His road to the superstar he is today was bumpy but he also achieved several accomplishments, and for one he was the first New Zealander to achieve F-1 driver status since Mike Thackwell in 1984.

6. He won the 2015 and 2017 FIA World Endurance Championships

Brendon_Hartley_and_Daniil_Kvyat photo by Steve –Wikimedia

Hartley was announced by Porsche as a factory driver of the Porsche 919 hybrid in the FIA Endurance Championship and the following four years, he won the 2015 and 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship.

He topped this with the turn of 2017, 24 hours of Le Mans and he held the second position in 2015.

7. He debuted for Toro Rosso in the 2017 United States Grand Prix

2018_Chinese_Grand_Prix_Qualifying_Brendon_Hartley photo by emperornie-Wikimedia

Brandon made a formula one debut for Toro Rosso, an Italian racing team owned by Red Bull in the United States Grand Prix as a replacement for Pierre Gasly who failed to take part in the final round of the Japanese Super Formula Championship.

He made his racing presence felt with number 39 and he ended up qualifying for the 17^th position after being eliminated during the qualifying one. He finished the race in the 13^th  position and it was confirmed he would remain a Toro Rosso driver for the remaining season.

8. He has grown up with Earl Bamber

Hartley wasn’t not only born and raised in a family that took much interest in racing but he also was surrounded by others who shared his love and interest for cars, his childhood friend Earl Bamber was one of the people who impacted him from a young age.

Bamber is also a prominent professional racing driver, who plays as a factory driver for Porsche Motorsport.

Hartley made the acquaintance of Bamber on the New Zealand kart tracks and the two became lifelong friends and rivals.

9. He has won 2020,24 hours of Le Mans

Hartley participated yet again in 2019, 1000 miles of Sebrinng, replacing Jenson Button in SMP racing. In the same season, he was announced by Toyota as a driver for the team for the 2019/ 2020 championship.

In the 2022 season, he won the 2020 24 hours of Le men with Sebastian Buemi and Nakajima, and he won the same title in the 2022 season along with Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa.