Brendon Hartley is living every young motorsport fan’s dream – competing for the legendary Porsche marque in the prestigious World Endurance Championship. Alongside motor racing icons Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard, the New Zealander won the WEC title last year, but the 26-year-old’s career hasn’t always been hurtling along at full throttle.
He was recruited by Red Bull aged 18 and was named a Formula One reserve driver for the 2009 season, sharing the role with Daniel Ricciardo. However, while Ricciardo went on to fame and fortune, the Austrian manufacturer dropped Hartley in 2010.
He rebounded, making a name for himself in the European Le Mans Series as well as in America, before an email he sent to Porsche set him back on the right track to success.
Hartley was in Abu Dhabi with the rest of his Porsche team-mates earlier this year in preparation for the new WEC season, and Sport360 raced along to speak to him.
To go home after the fantastic season we’d had, knowing I had a contract for next year and knowing I didn’t have to be on the phone every night looking for a ride for next year, that was a nice feeling. I could relax and switch off for one month.
It was a big experience for me the last two years, working with Timo and Mark. I think I’ve progressed as a driver along the way. We’ve grown together and being champion changes a few things. Now the expectation gets higher and we have a big target on the side of the car.
It’s a big bullseye for everyone else and we know that. But we come into the new season full of confidence.
In 2013 I was racing in European Le Mans Series, as well as the US. I felt I was driving the best I ever had. I sent an email to Porsche not really expecting a reply and Andreas (Seidl, team principal) replied and said ‘let’s meet up’. It was just to say please have a look at what I’m doing.
They were looking for someone young, with Le Mans experience, and I think it helped I’d had so much F1 experience too.
I wasn’t really sure if I had a chance but I guess they liked me and I think they wanted to take a chance on someone young. It was unexpected for a lot of people, including me, but I think the timing was right.
I felt a weight and that I had to prove myself. I was cautious, I couldn’t make a mistake and I think I perhaps put a bit too much pressure on myself. It took me a while to get comfortable in this environment. I was a bit conservative to start with. It’s a big step up and I knew it was a huge chance for me.
Big time. The more we knew each other, the more we worked as a team. We have a completely open relationship. I also like to think I had a lot of things to bring to the table and we all contributed on the same level.
A lot of it was outside of the car, how they managed themselves mentally or when to speak up, when not to, controlling your emotions and just working in such a big project. I learnt a lot from them along the way.
To be honest, I saw it coming in 2010. I wasn’t doing such a good job. It was a dark time because I wasn’t performing well. I just missed out on the opportunity. I was really dreaming of but the thing was I recovered and I learnt a lot from that process.
Not getting the F1 seat in 2009 when I was kind of lined up, it was a big kick in the guts and took me a long time to recover. I think when I stopped though, it was a new start. It was the first time I had to sit down and say ‘what’s the plan now?’
Before that, it was always controlled by Red Bull, I didn’t have to think for myself. The other thing is I didn’t have an option. I’m living on the other side of the world and, as a New Zealander, racing is all I know. I had to keep trying. I think that’s why a lot of us Kiwis have been successful.
To make the big move to Europe to realise our dreams is a big commitment, we make a lot of sacrifices so it was an easy decision to keep fighting.
Winning trio: Webber, Bernhard and Hartley.
I always followed in my brother’s footsteps. My father and brother together have an engineering company, they build and design race engines. I was there after school when I was doing Formula Ford changing the engine at 13 and putting the car together.
I’m not a skilled mechanic, far from it. My brother and father will vouch for me on that. It was us three back home. I enjoyed those days. I was very lucky. They both raced too and I learnt a lot from them.
We have a drivers’ manual. I’m not sure how many pages but it’s more than I can count on my fingers and toes. But for sure I’ve read it.
In the very early days I had some support from a group of people who helped Scott Dixon (New Zealand driver) get to IndyCar. A lot of us looked up to what he was doing and it inspired us.
The initial plan was to go there, but we never had funding to achieve that goal. The funding we had got me to the Toyota Racing Series which then got me noticed by Red Bull. The goal immediately changed to Europe. I’ve since fallen in love with endurance racing and Le Mans.
I’m sad I didn’t follow it as a kid. I felt like I’d been missing something.
I would never say never, but I absolutely love where I am. I have a dream job, I’m driving with Porsche at Le Mans with Mark and Timo. The way things are going you need to be younger and younger but in terms of driving I’m not at my peak and people saying you have to be under 20 is rubbish.
I know I’m still getting better and better, especially driving against Mark and Timo.
It’s cool and we’ve become friends. He’s just a good guy. I’m lucky to be working with both Mark and Timo, they’re both legends. They share their wisdom with me.
My body shape. It wasn’t a hard decision to not try out for the All Blacks. I grew up at the racetrack. Racing’s in the blood.
