Brendon Hartley hopes he can remain in Formula 1 for the long haul, and is already contemplating what he needs to do to ensure he makes the most of the opportunity that has presented itself to him.
The Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda driver was given his break in the sport in the 2017 United States Grand Prix and is racing for the team full-time in 2018, and brought the STR13 home fifteenth in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last month.
Hartley knows he has to impress in order to be given an extended stay in the sport, but the two-time champion of the FIA World Endurance Championship insists he will do everything he can to ensure that this year is not his last in Formula 1.
“It’s already been on my mind,” Hartley is quoted as saying by Crash. “It was a dream to have my first debut grand prix, then to become a full-time driver, but then very quickly you accept the fact that, OK, I’m in Formula 1, how do I make the most of it?
“How do I make the right decisions and work hard enough to keep improving and also prove to everyone that I deserve to be here and stay here?
“Taking it one step at a time, it’s better that I just focus from one race at a time, but I feel a lot more prepared than last year and really ready for this new challenge with Toro Rosso Honda.”
