Brendon Hartley

Brendon Hartley Bio

Brendon Morris Hartley is a New Zealand racing driver who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Born on 10 November 1989 in Palmerston North, New Zealand, he is one of the most decorated endurance drivers of his generation, with four World Endurance Championship titles and three wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Hartley also spent two seasons racing in Formula One with Scuderia Toro Rosso, and he currently pilots the No. 8 Toyota entry in the premier hybrid prototype category.

Early Life and Background

Brendon Morris Hartley was born on 10 November 1989 in Palmerston North, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. He was raised in a family with deep ties to motorsport. His father, Brian, had competed in several disciplines, including Formula Atlantic, and his older brother, Nelson, had already begun karting before Brendon was old enough to join him at the track.

Hartley began his own motor racing career at the age of six in karting. Six years later, he moved into a full-scale single-seater, entering the New Zealand Formula First championship and finishing seventh in his first season. In 2003, his victory in the New Zealand Formula Ford Festival earned him a drive in the national Formula Ford championship, where he started four races and won two in a car previously used by his brother.

Path to Endurance Racing

After a season in Formula Toyota New Zealand, Hartley relocated to Europe to compete in Formula Renault. He quickly adapted, taking the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship title in his second year with three race wins. A move into British Formula 3 with Carlin Motorsport produced five victories and third place in the 2008 standings, while a debut victory at the New Zealand Grand Prix series highlighted his early potential.

Between 2010 and 2012, Hartley balanced drives in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series and the GP2 Series. With single-seater opportunities drying up, he shifted toward endurance racing, joining Murphy Prototypes for the European Le Mans Series and later Porsche’s LMP1 factory program. The transition launched one of the most successful sportscar careers in modern memory, anchored by Porsche and later Toyota machinery.

Brendon Hartley Career

Early Career (2008–2012)

Hartley’s junior single-seater career included spells with Carlin Motorsport in British Formula 3 and Tech 1 Racing in Formula Renault 3.5. He also served as a reserve and test driver for Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso, becoming the first New Zealander to hold official Formula One status since Mike Thackwell in 1984. A young driver test with Mercedes in late 2012 kept his Formula One credentials alive even as his race seat prospects faded.

Sportscar racing provided a clearer path forward. Driving for Murphy Prototypes in the LMP2 class, Hartley took a podium finish in the LMP2 category at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and recorded class victories in both the European Le Mans Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series. Those results persuaded Porsche to sign him as a factory driver ahead of the 2014 season.

Porsche LMP1 Era (2014–2017)

Hartley joined Porsche’s factory LMP1 program and was immediately entrusted with the Porsche 919 Hybrid in the FIA World Endurance Championship. In 2015, he partnered Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard to win the FIA World Endurance Championship, the marque’s first overall title in the modern era. The same year included a runner-up finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Hartley added a second World Endurance Championship crown in 2017 alongside Bernhard and fellow New Zealander Earl Bamber, capping the season with overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He also drove a Nissan Onroak DPi for Extreme Speed Motorsports at Petit Le Mans, taking the win in the 2017 Petit Le Mans and strengthening his reputation on both sides of the Atlantic.

Formula One with Scuderia Toro Rosso (2017–2018)

Hartley made his Formula One debut at the 2017 United States Grand Prix with Scuderia Toro Rosso, replacing Pierre Gasly for the closing rounds of the season. He finished the year in thirteenth at his debut race and was confirmed for a full campaign alongside Gasly in 2018.

Across 2018, Hartley scored three points-paying finishes, including tenth at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, tenth at the German Grand Prix, and a season-best ninth at the United States Grand Prix. He ended the year nineteenth in the standings before being released by Toro Rosso at the end of the season and replaced by Alexander Albon.

Toyota Gazoo Racing Era (2019–Present)

After a brief stint as a Ferrari development driver and a single Formula E campaign with GEOX Dragon Racing, Hartley returned to sportscar racing with SMP Racing and then Toyota Gazoo Racing. He replaced Fernando Alonso at Toyota for the 2019–20 season, driving the No. 8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid alongside Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima. The pairing delivered victory at the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, Hartley’s second win at the French classic.

With the debut of Toyota’s GR010 Hybrid under Hypercar regulations, Hartley continued with the No. 8 crew. He added a third Le Mans triumph in 2022 with Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa, and helped Toyota to World Endurance Championship titles in 2022 and 2023. By the end of the 2023 season, his four WEC titles matched the all-time record held by Sébastien Buemi, and he remained a cornerstone of Toyota’s endurance program heading into 2025.

Driving Style and Strengths

Hartley is known for his smooth, fuel-efficient driving style, which is essential in long stints aboard a hybrid prototype. His technical feedback has been highly valued by engineers at Porsche and Toyota, and his calm temperament behind the wheel has made him a trusted partner in multi-driver endurance campaigns. He pairs consistency with sharp race craft in traffic, and he is particularly effective on circuit layouts that reward tire management and strategy.

Notable Races and Milestones

His most important results include the 2015 and 2017 World Endurance Championship titles, three wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2017, 2020, 2022), and the 2017 Petit Le Mans victory in a Nissan DPi. A milestone moment came in 2009, when he became the first New Zealander to hold Formula One driver status since 1984.

Brendon Hartley Career Wins

Brendon Hartley has built one of the most decorated résumés in modern endurance racing, with four FIA World Endurance Championship titles, three 24 Hours of Le Mans overall victories, and victories across sportscar racing in both LMP and GT machinery.

WEC and Le Mans Highlights

Hartley has won the FIA World Endurance Championship drivers’ title four times, in 2015, 2017, 2022, and 2023, tying the all-time record set by Sébastien Buemi. He has also reached the top step of the podium at Le Mans three times, sharing the No. 8 Porsche 919 Hybrid with Timo Bernhard and Earl Bamber in 2017, the No. 8 Toyota TS050 with Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima in 2020, and the No. 8 Toyota GR010 with Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa in 2022. His Le Mans hat-trick places him among the most successful modern drivers at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Other Wins and Performances

Outside the WEC, Hartley has recorded wins in the European Le Mans Series, the Rolex Sports Car Series at Starworks Motorsport, and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, including victory in the 2017 Petit Le Mans with Extreme Speed Motorsports. Earlier in his career, he won the 2003 New Zealand Formula Ford Festival and the 2007 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship.

Brendon Hartley Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Hartley was raised in a New Zealand household where motorsport was a constant. His father, Brian, raced in Formula Atlantic and other categories, and his older brother, Nelson, was already karting before Brendon followed. That family connection gave him his earliest opportunities behind the wheel, and his father’s experience shaped his early approach to race craft.

Personal Life

Hartley lives in Monaco and is married to Sarah Wilson. The couple became engaged in July 2016 and married in January 2018, after roughly twelve years together. Outside of racing, Hartley enjoys mountain biking and road cycling, and he can play the guitar.

2025 Season Performance

Hartley enters the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season continuing with Toyota Gazoo Racing in the No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, sharing driving duties with Sébastien Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa. After back-to-back World Endurance Championship crowns in 2022 and 2023, the No. 8 crew remains one of the benchmarks of the Hypercar era.

The 2025 campaign features continued competition from factory entries from Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, and BMW, with Cadillac and privateer Hypercar programs adding depth to the field. Toyota’s reliability and consistent pit work are expected to remain strengths, and Hartley’s calm approach in traffic is well suited to the expanded calendar, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the season’s centerpiece.

For Hartley, 2025 represents another opportunity to extend his four-title WEC record and chase a record-equalling fourth outright victory at Le Mans. His established partnership with Buemi and Hirakawa, combined with Toyota’s ongoing development of the GR010, gives the No. 8 car a strong foundation heading into the new season.