MULTITASKING AND THE END OF THE ROAD

Brendon Hartley

First, some current-era news. Two issues ago, I mentioned that Brendon Hartley is the first driver in history to be on the payrolls of both Ferrari and Porsche simultaneously. We now learn that he is also Fernando Alonso’s replacement for the rest of 2019 in the all-conquering Toyota in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), while, at the same time, being the reserve driver for not just the Ferrari Formula 1 (F1) team but also its Alfa Romeo sister as well. Brendon must have a mightily impressive line-up of race suits from each of these major names in the world of motoring. In the case of the Toyota gig, it is essentially a case of him coming full circle back to the manufacturer who helped launch his international career. It’s been said many times throughout the length and breadth of the country: where on earth would our motor racing scene be without Toyota?

Brendon was a teenage sensation when the category was first launched here in 2005–6. Anyone who thought he was washed up after the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his 2018 F1 season got that horribly wrong; he is clearly a hot property that major companies are prepared to share, and that’s virtually unheard of.