An exciting weekend is in store for Red Bull F1 Racing reserve driver Brendon Hartley as he heads to the first round of the 2010 F1 season at Bahrain this weekend. 2010 will leave its mark in motorsport history books and the Kiwi will be able to say that he was there.
This season will be historic for at least three reasons, but as the year unfolds there may be more added. First we have the return of arguably the greatest Formula One driver Michael Schumacher and second we have the addition of three new teams – Lotus, Virgin and Hispania (HRT).
The third reason is open to debate but it can be argued that this season we may be seeing some of the best F1 talent ever.
After a three year absence Schumacher has come out of retirement to drive for the Mercedes GP team. While down playing his potential to win this year he is up against current world champion Jenson Button (McLaren), previous world champions Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and former Ferrari team mates Rubens Barricello (Williams) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari). Add into the mix Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) and former F1 as well as McLaren test driver Pedro De la Rosa (Sauber).
While Hartley will attend each F1 grand prix as a reserve driver his main focus will be driving in the World Series by Renault which gets underway shortly. The continuous exposure to such a talented F1 pitlane must pay dividends for him and has the potential to help take his driving to another level.
After a forgettable season last year Hartley will look to impress in what could be a make or break season for him. As opposed to last year where he competed in several different race series with mixed results he will have to produce not only podium finishes but also show consistency.
Meanwhile he will be waiting in the wings for the main event; driving in his first Formula One grand prix should he be required. He is there at a unique time in F1 history, rubbing shoulders with the best F1 collective talent.
