A1GP: 'It's just like driving a playstation'

Brendon Hartley gets advice from Jonny Reid before putting Black Beauty through its paces. Photo / Paul Estcourt

At the end of the rookie session yesterday at the A1 GP meeting in Taupo, Brendon Hartley was pretty hard on himself.

"I made some gruesome mistakes," said Hartley. "But overall I think I did a reasonable job. I enjoyed the track. It's bumpy and really interesting. It's going to be a good weekend."

Hartley finished fifth fastest in his first drive in the two 25-minute rookie sessions.

Starting conservatively to bed in the brakes and engine, Hartley let rip late in his second session and could have set the fastest lap time bar two small mistakes.

His performance in Black Beauty was impressive considering the car develops about 200bhp more than the Formula 3 car he's been driving.

"You get used to it pretty quickly. In the Formula 3 car you have more grip but this has got some serious horsepower so you've always got to be a little throttle-easy, so to speak.

"It's good fun and I really like the paddle shift, it's a bit like driving a PlayStation game," said Hartley, a Halberg Award finalist this year.

In only his second outing in an A1 GP car, Hartley was able to demonstrate the balanced, smooth driving style that brought him to the notice of Carlin Motorsport, who have signed him up to contest the British Formula 3 championship.

And despite being his own harshest critic yesterday, given more time in Black Beauty Hartley will make a fine stand-in for Jonny Reid.