Hartley’s father slams Ferrari ‘rumors’

Given he did $4M in car damage last year with Toro Rosso, Hartley is safer playing video games as a sim driver

(GMM) Brendon Hartley's father has slammed "rumors" the ousted Toro Rosso racer will become a simulator driver for Ferrari.

After a year on the grid, Le Mans winner Hartley has lost his place in Red Bull's F1 program but remains in Porsche's motor racing stable.

However, Italy's Corriere dello Sport reported this week that the 29-year-old New Zealander was a top candidate to replace Daniil Kvyat as a Ferrari test driver.

"Where do they get this stuff from?," Hartley's father Bryan told Newshub. "It's just rumors.

"It's not the direction we are looking in at all," he insisted.

Hartley's father, himself a former racing driver, said Brendon is currently holidaying in New Zealand.