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Originally Posted by socram
Hopefully he'll still be with NZ A1GP team. He is a very nice bloke and a good ambassador for NZ. However, because he is a very measured driver, he learns steadily rather than rushing at it, and that applies to circuits as well as cars.
As posted earlier, he needs a drive in the A1 off season. Hartley looks set to head upwards and I think other posters are correct; A1 would not be an advancement for Hartley. There are several other NZ youngsters coming through, but my money is on Jonny for next season.
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It's as much a non-advancement for Hartley as it is his being forbidden to drive the A1 car by Dr. Helmut Marko (Mr. Red Bull).
Marko approached A1TeamNZL owner Colin Giltrap after Brendon's test at Taupo, and pretty much threatened that if Brendon wasn't
racing Black Beauty next time, then he could take a running jump.
Now, Colin's no mug, and he doesn't take any **** either. So essentially, from that point onward, Hartley's name has pretty much been scrapped from the potential A1GP New Zealand checklist.
Then again, Hartley's got British F3 and a preliminary contract with Torro Rosso, while Giltrap's got the Bambers and van der Drifts of this world to choose from - I'm not sure either party is too worried.