Motorsport: Porsche role for discarded Kiwi Formula One driver Brendon Hartley

Brendon Hartley will be with Porsche next season. Photo / Getty

Discarded Formula One driver Brendon Hartley will remain part of Porsche's factory driver programme in 2019.

The Kiwi, who was sacked by Toro Rosso earlier this month after only one full Grand Prix season, was confirmed in the role at the manufacturer's Night of Champions event in Stuttgart on Monday (NZT).

According to f1i.com, Hartley is not currently part of the any of the team's sports car formal named line-ups for 2019 so far announced, which include a four-car factory GT effort for the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Hartley has had close ties with Porsche since 2014 and was part of their 2017 Le Mans LMP1 victory. He remained on the books this year despite his move into Formula One with Toro Rosso, f1i.com reported.

Hartley has reportedly been linked to racing for Porsche in Formula E late next year.

Porsche motorsport chief Fritz Enzinger confirmed at the Night of Champions that its first Formula E driver was "already decided" and would be "announced shortly" ahead of the start of testing this spring.

Hartley managed just four points this F1 season and finished second-last in the drivers' championship. He was axed after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and replaced Alexander Albon.

In an interview with Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking last week, Hartley suggested there was more to his sacking than on-track performance.

"I would love to tell the story one day," he told Mike Hosking.

"The politics I don't enjoy. It took me some time to get used to the extra media attention. What I will say is Formula One is very complicated, there's a lot of money involved, politics and some of the reasons why drivers stay or leave isn't always in your control or of reasons for pure performance.

"In any case, I left the paddock with my head held high. I knew I'd given it my best shot this year. I knew that I'd stepped up to the plate when I needed to."