Motorsport: Talented teen who lives to be first

Hundreds of New Zealand youngsters over the past 20 years have dreamed of driving in Formula One, but have had to settle for something else.

Now Brendon Hartley has been set on a career path to the pinnacle of world motorsport.

So what makes the 15-year-old fifth-former from Palmerston North Boys' High different from others with similar ambitions?

Kenny Smith, the doyen of New Zealand motorsport with almost 50 years at the wheel, has known Brendon and his 19-year-old brother, Nelson, since they were children g and has guided both in their single-seater careers.

He competed against Brendon Hartley last season in the Toyota series, which brought the teenager to the notice of the Red Bull junior team. Red Bull has signed him to a contract, which could lead to a Formula One seat in a few years.

Hartley has the backing of P. J. Johnston and the New Zealand supporters who financed the career of Scott Dixon, another who profited from Smith's advice and contacts.

Smith believes Hartley has what it takes to reach the top. His assessment: "He's 100 per cent dedicated when he gets in that car. I see a lot of Scott Dixon in him. He's more loud than Scott. Scott's very much to himself at times.

"Brendon doesn't go spouting about blowing everybody away and nor does Scott. But you can see with Brendon that he's 100 per cent in there.

"He has to be first. If he walked with you down here, he'd want to put his foot across that line before you. He'd want to beat you.

"He's super-competitive and that's very good because that's what makes a good race driver. He'll give it a good shot," Smith said.

"If it fails and he doesn't get to quite where he hopes - and I think he'll make it all the way - we know he'll have given it 100 per cent."

After winning the first race, he finished only fourth in the Toyota series last season, so wasn't that a disappointing result?

"He should have won the series. But the pressure got to him. He'll admit that. He made one or two mistakes with the pressure on him, but his ability to drive was there.

"It can happen to anybody. It's just the same for Michael Schumacher. Everybody pumps themselves up.

"At Pukekohe there was bad sun coming over the hill and 99 per cent of us lifted off coming over there. He worked out where the road was and left his foot hard in and it trapped him. But it doesn't matter. If he didn't have these problems, he wouldn't know where he's going wrong. He's quick to pick up on his own mistakes.

"He's pretty good at what's right and wrong with his car ... he makes an engineer's life easy.

"You get drivers who'll say, 'The car's a piece of shit'. But you can't fix 'shit' because the engineer doesn't know what's wrong with it.

"Brendon's learned a lot about what makes suspension geometry work.

"In Formula One they reckon it's 80 per cent car and 20 per cent driver. In the cars he'll be driving at first it's probably 50-50.

"In the old days it was 80 per cent driver and 20 per cent car, and they used to drive round the problems. He's smart enough to work out where he's going."

Smith is impressed by Hartley's personal qualities, particularly his approach to other people.

"He can be walking through a pit and he will be smiling and talking to spectators he's never met. He comes across as a friendly kid.

"There are drivers out there who treat spectators badly. But if you haven't got the time to sign kids' autographs, you make the time," Smith said.

"At the end of the day, those are the people who are making you."

BRENDON HARTLEY

* From 6 to 12 years: Karting

* At 13: 8th Formula First Championship

* At 14: 2nd Formula Ford Championship

* At 15: 4th Toyota Racing Series