Hartley: Helmut, I’m a different man

In an interview with the official Formula 1 website, Hartley looked back on his relationship with Red Bull over the years.

Brandon reflected on how in his teens he and his minders made contact with Marko in a quest for backing to contest the Toyota Racing Series for single seaters in New Zealand, "We eventually stumbled across Helmut Marko’s email address. We sort of knew who he was, we just didn’t quite know how big of a deal he was."

"So we sent him an email. I think we asked for $10,000 in sponsorship money – we were desperate. We had seen some Red Bull helmets around at some races and figured he might be watching."

"He was. Or someone at Red Bull was. Because a few weeks later we received a contract in the mail. At 15, I was flying to Estoril, Portugal, to test with other kids to be part of the heralded Red Bull Junior Program."

Hartley appeared set to climb the ladder to Formula 1 and won the 2007 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship. In 2009 he was appointed Toro Rosso reserve and looked set for a Formula 1 call-up.

The racing and reserve role meant a great deal of travel for the New Zealander, and ultimately his performances suffered. The decline was clearly noted by Marko.

But at that the time the call that came from Marko was not good news, "When Toro Rosso’s F1 seat opened up in 2009 my downward spiral had been ongoing for a while. Red Bull noticed, and they gave the seat to Jaime Alguersuari."

"I’ll never forget that phone call with Helmut when he gave me the news. He said: I’m sorry, we’re putting Jaime in for the race seat."

"A man of few words. It was heartbreaking. To be that close... I mean, I was the reserve driver. I was next in line. But my results weren’t good enough. I understand it now, but back then, I handled it so poorly. My confidence was shot."

"My mind went to a dark place … I didn’t know what to do. Less than a year later, Red Bull pulled my funding, and all of sudden I had no money and no team to race for."

Nevertheless, Hartley persevered and since then things have turned around dramatically. He forged a hugely successful sportscar racing career with Porsche and is a double WEC world champion and 2017 Le Mans winner.

Last year Porsche announced they would pull the plug on their endurance programme and triggered an inspired phone call by Hartley to Red Bull's kingmaker, “Helmut, I’m a different man than I was eight or nine years ago, and if there’s ever an opportunity, my hand’s up and I’m ready to go.”

"Helmut didn’t say anything – radio silence. I pushed again, telling him where I was at in life and all of these other things. He cut me off: O.K. I got the message..."

"A man of few words. I hung up the phone thinking that if I was going to be a Formula 1 driver, it hinged on the results of that call."

"I didn’t hear anything for a few months. Then, my phone rang, my heart rate picked up and I was on my way to the UK to drive in the Red Bull racing simulator. And two weeks after that I was in Austin for the US Grand Prix. Finally, a Formula 1 driver."

"Those last few weeks of the F1 season were a blur. I tried to learn as much as I could and acclimate as fast possible. I’m so incredibly thankful to Red Bull and Toro Rosso. From Helmut to the people in the factory in Faenza, everyone has been so supportive."

"Last year, I never had time to decompress and actually poke my head up out of the clouds and see where I was. This off-season, I’ve been able to do that. To be the first Kiwi in F1 since 1984 is a tremendous honour. It still, in some ways, doesn’t seem real, you know?"

"Brendon Hartley, F1 driver. Even now, I have to read it a few times before I believe it."

"I’m not taking any of this for granted. I know exactly how hard it is to get here and what a seat in this series means. I hope I can bring pride to my family, my wife and everyone who was there for me when I needed them, proud."

"And to my Toro Rosso team: Let’s go have some fun. I know I’m going to. I am a rookie after all," added Hartley.