Formula One news
Hartley: F1 would be wrong now
20 July 2009Brendon Hartley feels that making to the jump to the Toro Rosso race seat filled by Jaime Alguersuari would have been a wrong decision at the current point of his career. The New Zealander, who was Red Bull reserve driver before being replaced by the Spaniard, has now taken a step back from the top rung of the sport's ladder.
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| Hartley has placed F1 aside for the time being |
Having acted as test and reserve driver for both Red Bull teams for the majority of the season's first half, Alguersuari's hiring by Red Bull sees the 19-year-old Kiwi concentrating on lower formulae as the reigning British Formula 3 Champion took the reigns at the Austrian company; also 19, the Barcelona-born man will become the youngest ever F1 driver at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
"I knew some time ago that Alguersuari would get the Toro Rosso drive and I have to say that, when I first heard the news, I was obviously disappointed," Hartley told NZPA (New Zealand Press Agency). "In fact, I think - for me - it would be, really, the wrong decision to be driving in Formula One right now; there's a lot of reasons why I am not there, in fact - there is a lot of politics and money and sponsorship that goes a long way when you are trying to get a seat there but, at the same time, the racing season has not been going well for me for many reasons - a lot of car issues, some mistakes as well."
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| Sébastien Bourdais was dropped by Toro Rosso after 27 races with the team |
As Alguersuari takes over at the controls formerly operated by Sébastien Bourdais, Hartley now reflects on the short-lived reserve role as more vital experience. "To be a Formula One reserve driver was ahead of my goals and it was nice to be there but, in the end, we made a decision it was too much," he admitted. "I needed to do a bit less and concentrate on getting the results - I didn't really expect to be the driver to replace Bourdais and I feel I don't deserve to be a Formula One driver yet; if I was put there - okay, it would be nice and exciting, but I have to say to myself: 'Well, what is everyone else going to say if I didn't really deserve to be there?'"
With the third driver space now vacant again, does Hartley see himself returning to the F1 seat in the near future? "My racing year hasn't gone well but I'm still working very hard," he continued. "I have been fastest during races but nothing has come together and I have had lots of problems; I'm trying hard to put it right in the second half of the season and need a bit of luck on my side - it's more important to get some results and prove myself."
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