Formula One: Brendon Hartley to drive for Toro Rosso in 2018
By Asher Fair
Brendon Hartley will be returning to drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso in the 2018 Formula One season after several late-season races with the team this season.
Brendon Hartley, 28, will be returning to Formula One as a full-time driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Red Bull Racing junior team, in the 2018 season after driving in a few races toward the end of this season.
Hartley made his first Formula One appearance for Toro Rosso this season as the replacement driver for Carlos Sainz Jr. in the United States Grand Prix, the 17th race of the 20-race season. Sainz Jr. had previously signed a contract to drive for Renault Sport in the 2018 season, but when the team let go of Jolyon Palmer early, that left a seat open with the team for Sainz Jr. to close out the season driving in.
Hartley was supposed to drive in IndyCar for Chip Ganassi Racing as Tony Kanaan’s replacement in the #10 Honda next season, but when the Formula One opportunity arose with Toro Rosso, he took it. Ed Jones has since been confirmed as the driver of the #10 Honda in the 2018 season.
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In the three races which Hartley has driven in so far this Formula One season, he has just one finish, with that being a 13th place result in the United States Grand Prix. After that race, he along with Pierre Gasly, who has also only driven in a few races for the team this season, were confirmed as the team’s two drivers for the remainder of the 2017 season. Gasly, like Hartley, will also be returning to the team as a full-time driver in 2018.
In the two races since the United States Grand Prix, which were the Mexican Grand Prix and the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hartley has suffered two retirements. In the Mexican Grand Prix, he retired as a result of an engine failure, and in the Brazilian Grand Prix, he retired as a result of high oil consumption.
While Toro Rosso currently uses Renault engines, they will begin using Honda engines next season. McLaren, the only team currently powered by Honda, opted to discontinue their Honda engine supply following the conclusion of the 2017 season and will use Renault engines instead, thus making them the third and final Renault-powered team.
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How will Brendon Hartley fare in his first full-time role as a Formula One driver for Toro Rosso in the 2018 season? In what position will he end up in the final drivers standings? Will he outperform his teammate Pierre Gasly to the point where he becomes the likely replacement driver for Daniel Ricciardo in the 2019 season after Ricciardo’s contract expires at the end of next season?