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How Red Bull's reject earned his shock F1 chance

This weekend, seven years after being dropped by Red Bull, Brendon Hartley will make his Formula 1 debut driving for Toro Rosso. Though surprising on the face of it, the Porsche LMP1 driver is a worthy choice

It has been billed by some as a left field choice. But is it really so strange that Brendon Hartley should be given a Formula 1 chance with Toro Rosso at this weekend's United States Grand Prix at Austin?

It would not have been regarded as such had the New Zealander landed some kind of F1 drive when he was still a member of the Red Bull junior programme or in the years afterwards as he continued to plough a furrow in junior single-seaters. Yet Brendon Hartley 2.0 in 2017 is not only a better driver who can call himself a world champion, he is far more qualified for a race seat at the pinnacle of the sport.

Previous article The blunders that left F1 chasing its tail
Next article Toro Rosso: Honda engine deal a 'release' for team's F1 ambitions

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