Hartley to test for F1 vacancy

Toro Rosso represents the best chance of a Formula 1 drive for Palmerston North's Brendon Hartley.

The 20-year-old will get two of the three days of testing behind the wheel of the Toro Rosso team car at Jerez, southwest Spain, from December 1 to 3.

His brother Nelson said Brendon, who received his Formula 1 superlicence in May, was happy to get the Toro Rosso drive because a Formula 1 contract with the other team, Red Bull, was unlikely.

Toro Rosso is the young drivers' team, while Red Bull usually employ senior drivers and already have Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

"Everything depends on how the testing goes," Nelson said. "He's had a pretty tough season, not enough results for them to want to put him straight into a car.

"There might be a vacancy in Toro Rosso, and whether it would go to Brendon or not, no-one knows."

He said the Red Bull organisation knew Hartley was a fast driver, otherwise he would be home in Palmerston North looking for a day job.

Formula 1 drivers aren't permitted to do the test driving once they have completed a certain number of race drives.

The testing is open to drivers who have had three grand prix starts.

Hartley took over from David Coulthard as Red Bull's Formula 1 reserve driver in May, but then stepped down to focus on his racing in European Formula 3 and World Series by Renault.

Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari was brought in to replace him and became the youngest Formula 1 driver. Hartley had his first Formula 1 test at Jerez last year.

Hartley has had a tough year, by his own admission a mix of car issues and mistakes. With English team Carlin Motorsport in the European Formula 3 Championship, his Volkswagen-powered Dallara didn't have the straight-line speed of the Mercedes and Toyota-powered cars.

He felt as if he had more horsepower at last weekend's Macau Grand Prix, but a crash into barriers in qualifying and being hit by another car during the race put paid to his hopes there.

He hasn't been told what he will be driving next year. After two years at Carlin, it's possible he might drive in World Series by Renault in the 3.5 litre V6 cars which are the closest to Formula 1.

He raced in that series this year with French team Tech 1.

Until he gains a Formula 1 seat and gets paid, Nelson Hartley said his brother will still need backing from home in New Zealand "to keep him alive over there".

He has been part of the Red Bulls junior programme in Europe since 2006.

Italian teenager and Formula 2 driver Mirko Bortolotti, who tested for Ferrari at the end of last year will also be testing for Toro Rosso at Jerez.

He will drive in the middle day of testing, and Hartley in the other two

Toro Rosso have confirmed that Sebastien Buemi will stay with them next year and Alguersuari may or may not get the other seat.

- © Fairfax NZ News