0
Former grand prix driver Brendon Hartley has recalled the “unbelievable' feelings he had driving a Formula 1 car during the 2018 season.
Towards the end of the 2017 campaign, Hartley was called up by Toro Rosso to replace Pierre Gasly at the US Grand Prix, before being confirmed as a driver for the remainder of the year.
Hartley retained the seat at Toro Rosso for 2018, scoring three top-ten finishes throughout the year with a best result of ninth place at the Circuit of the Americas, one year on from his debut.
Having made the move to F1 from the LMP1 category of the World Endurance Championship, the Kiwi pointed out the STR13 as the best car he's raced during his career.
“It’s the car I dreamed about when I was a little kid,” he told dailysportcar.com. “I went around as a six-year-old telling everyone I was going to be a Formula 1 driver which was a completely ridiculous thing to think was ever going to happen - but it did.
“And although 2018 had some ups and downs, if I just think about a qualifying lap, in an F1 car in one one of the quickest years in F1 history, that was unreal. Just mind-blowingly fast.”
Hartley says that although he felt comfortable behind the wheel of the car, watching some of the onboards gave him the impression that the footage was sped up.
“Sometimes even watching back the onboard videos after the session you’d have a moment thinking – was I really doing that?
“It looks like it’s in fast forward but when you’re plugged in and you’ve got the adrenaline running through your veins you’re totally immersed and it all feels natural and almost normal.
“But even to this day when I watch it back it’s it looks incredible and it feels unbelievable to be driving those cars at that speed around the world.
“Particularly in qualifying when you have low fuel, new tyres, that’s when that car just feels unreal.
“Sometimes in the races proper, with tyres that degraded so quickly, there were frustrations, but if I just single out a qualifying lap of every weekend. Yeah, that that was pretty hard to match.”
Hartley was replaced at Toro Rosso at the end of the 2018 season by Alexander Albon, who has since found himself competing full-time for Red Bull.
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
C. Sainz jr
C. Leclerc
Bahrain
United Arab Emirates
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
4 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Brendon Hartley
94,349 comments on Scuderia Toro Rosso 46 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about Scuderia Toro Rosso
Replies (0)
Login to reply