JUNE 12, 2018

Toro Rosso backs struggling Hartley

Toro Rosso has boosted Brendon Hartley's chances of staying with the Red Bull junior team.

Toro Rosso has boosted Brendon Hartley's chances of staying with the Red Bull junior team.

Amid speculation the Faenza based team was looking to replace the New Zealander with McLaren's Lando Norris, team manager Graham Watson said Toro Rosso is happy with Hartley.

"We want him to be successful," he told Newshub.

"As a Toro Rosso team we are 100 per cent behind Brendon."

However, Watson acknowledged that the decision may not just be up to Toro Rosso.

"The drivers are predominantly controlled by Red Bull and then we as a team are the guys who work with these two guys and try and make them have the ability to be a world champion in the future," he said.

"We don't have the actual control of what happens with our drivers in Toro Rosso."

(GMM)