Brendon Hartley returns to Porsche works team after F1 adventure

Former Toro Rosso driver Brendon Hartley will be part of Porsche's factory driver programme in 2019, the German team confirmed, as the Kiwi won the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche among other things.

Hartley enjoyed just over a full season in Formula 1 before getting axed by Toro Rosso, much to his disliking. The decision was looming for most of the season, as the 29-year-old grew more and more frustrated with the constant questions from the media about the lack of security he had about his seat.

The reason for this is because of his many, many retirements. Some were very unfortunate, some were his fault, but he couldn't get many points on the board for the team, in contrast to his teammate Pierre Gasly. The young Frenchman will make the step up to Red Bull in 2019.

Hartley actually remained on the books at Porsche in 2018 despite his F1 commitments, and is now a prime contender for Porsche's new Formula E team.

Porsche motorsports boss Fritz Enzinger said that the Formula E line-up will be "announced shortly".