New Zealand race car driver Brendon Hartley has put in an impressive effort and completed the most laps of any driver on the opening day of his Formula One debut.
Brendon Hartley waits to hit the track during his Formula One debut. Photo: Photosport
Two practice sessions were held for the US Grand Prix on Saturday (NZ time), with Hartley 14th quickest of 20 cars in the first stint and 17th in the second.
Hartley was 1.2 seconds off the pace of the Toro Rosso team-mate Daniil Kvyat in the second of three practice periods for Monday's race in Texas.
It represented a commendable effort, not only given Kvyat has been in Formula One since 2014 but also because it is the New Zealander's first time in a single-seat car for five years.
Hartley, who completed 69 laps on the day (13 more than race distance), also put in the performance against a backdrop of bad news.
He had earlier learned he would start the race from one of the last positions because Toro Rosso had chosen to change the power unit on his car.
The switch meant Hartley would take a grid penalty for what is the ninth appearance by a New Zealander in the championship and the first for 33 years.
The Kiwi driver in action for Toro Rosso during practice for the US Grand Prix. Photo: Photosport
Three-time world championship and title favourite Lewis Hamilton topped the time-sheets for Mercedes in both practice sessions, Hartley around three seconds off the pace of the British driver in both stints.
The motorsport advisor for Red Bull Racing, the parent team of Toro Rosso, Helmut Marko said in a brief TV interview he was impressed how Hartley was able to effectively match Kvyat for "high-fuel load" speed during practice two.
The 27-year-old from Palmerston North found himself as high as third in the early part of the first session and although he eventually slipped out of the top 10, he was still quicker than team-mate Sean Gelael.
Indonesian driver Gelael, a former team-mate of New Zealand's Mitch Evans in the GP2 series, finished 17th and was taking part in practice instead of Kyvat, who has taken over the second Toro Rosso car for the remainder of the event.
Sunday will see the third and final practice session and qualifying, before the race proper on Monday.
Brendon Hartley discusses his car's set-up with the Toro Rosso crew. Photo: www.photosport.nz
In relation to the grid penalty for the race, motorsport's governing the FIA said Hartley's car would have a new engine, motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), energy store and control electronics.
The new components incur penalties for exceeding the season's allocation.
Team principal Franz Tost said the decision to change the power unit components had been taken before Hartley was announced as a temporary replacement for Pierre Gasly for the US Grand Prix.
French rookie Gasly is racing in Japan, where he can win the Super Formula title this weekend.
Hartley won the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours alongside countryman Earl Bamber with Porsche this year and was a world endurance champion with the team in 2015.
Meanwhile, Dutch driver Max Verstappen has signed a contract extension keeping him at Red Bull through the 2020 season.
The 20-year-old is a hot property in the sport after becoming the youngest ever race winner, in Spain last year at the age of 18. He also won in Malaysia earlier this month, a day after his birthday.
The son of former racer Jos has been linked to both Mercedes and Ferrari in media speculation but Red Bull were determined to lock in a youngster widely seen as a future world champion.
- Reuters, RNZ
