Scott Dixon is pleased that his fellow New Zealander Brendon Hartley is getting the opportunity to race in Formula 1, and believes the twenty-eight-year-old will do very well if he is given a proper chance to shine.
Hartley was set to make a move to the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2018 as Dixon’s team-mate at Chip Ganassi Racing but is now set to become a full-time Formula 1 driver at Scuderia Toro Rosso after making his race debut in the recent United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas.
Dixon feels it is a good move by Toro Rosso to hire Hartley, who looks set to partner Pierre Gasly in the team next season, and it shows to the rest of the Formula 1 grid that it is better to look at talent rather than the amount a driver can pay to get a seat.
“I’m pleased for Brendon – it’s a fantastic opportunity for him and hopefully he gets a fair shake,” said four-time IndyCar champion Dixon to Motorsport.com. “If he does, I think he’ll do really well.
“It’s good to see that F1 teams have caught on to the fact that you can’t just have pay drivers. It doesn’t help a team move forward.”
