Red Bull Racing 2010: Brendon Hartley

redbullracing.com

Brendon Hartley, the world’s fastest Kiwi, is returning to Red Bull Racing in 2010, continuing his Formula One education with a second stint as our reserve driver.

The long, blonde mane might suggest Brendon has pretensions to being a moody indie guitarist. Actually, he’s usually in a good mood – though you may see him occasionally strumming a guitar. If he does have a bad-boy side, it’s mostly restricted to pilfering hotel shampoo, otherwise he’s usually to be found dutifully studying racecraft and taking copious notes in the garage.

Bought up in a racing household, Brendon began competing in karts at an early age before progressing to Formula Ford in his native New Zealand. After considerable success in this and other single-seaters, he packed his bags and headed for Europe where a solid run of points finishes in the 2006 Formula Renault Eurocup proved he acclimatises quickly. A move to the Epsilon Red Bull team for 2007 saw Brendon win the Eurocup Championship, taking four victories and a string of pole positions on his way to the title. It propelled him into a drive with Carlin Motorsport for 2008, racing in British Formula 3. Brendon secured five victories in that epic season, narrowly missing out on the title, which went to team-mate Jaime Alguersuari.

Having taken his Red Bull Racing bow on an F1 demonstration run through the streets of Riyadh, Brendon took the next step and was appointed the team’s test and reserve driver for 2009. He was immediately able to contribute to the development of the RB5, taking over winter testing duties while Mark Webber recovered from his cycling accident. Once the season began, Brendon spent time on the pit wall and in the garage.

“There are many aspects to being a Formula One driver, which is something you gain an appreciation for when seeing it from the inside,” he says. “Last year I got to sit in on all the meetings, observe how the drivers work with their engineers, listen to the radio communications and attend the driver briefings. It gives you a really good feeling for how the drivers work within a team and how that relates to everything else. Every racing driver wants to race, but having an opportunity like this is a massive part of the apprenticeship – and it is going to make me a better competitor in the long run.”

“Brendon is an important part of our team,” adds Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner. “Our reserve driver needs to have the same level of physical fitness and preparation as our race drivers, but also needs to possess the aptitude to learn from their environment and be ready for any eventuality. Brendon did a good job for us in 2009 and we’re delighted to play a continuing role in his development.”

In addition to making the tea for Red Bull Racing, Brendon will also be contesting the 2010 World Series by Renault for Tech 1 Racing alongside fellow Red Bull Junior team member Daniel Ricciardo.