Hartley sure over Toro Rosso future

Brendon Hartley has shrugged off reports that he could be replaced at Toro Rosso by Pascal Wehrlein. Hartley has struggled to match the performances of team-mate Pierre Gasly in 2018 and suffered a huge crash in practice for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Dr Helmut Marko also dismissed a suggestion that Wehrlein was an imminent arrival in the Red Bull junior team, although his claim that they were not in discussions "for the moment" was hardly a ringing endorsement of Hartley.

The two-time World Endurance Championship winner has just a solitary point to his name this year, won in Baku.

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His season ahead is likely to be complicated by his Barcelona shunt, which demolished the rear end of his car and needed a change of engine components, with penalties almost certain before the end of the year.

Although Hartley admits he could be doing slightly better this season, he does not expect to lose his seat.

"Well yeah, I have a contract, so I was surprised to hear [the Wehrlein reports],'' Hartley said. "Formula 1 obviously moves quick, there are plenty of critics.

"As a driver, you're your own biggest critic. I had two weekends not completely clean. In fairness I scored my first point in Azerbaijan.

"The first three races of the year, I was ahead in qualifying for two of the three.

"Ultimately we've not had the pace to be in the points all the time.

"I was really happy with my race in Barcelona on Sunday. Again we didn't have the pace to move much further up the grid. I felt I did more or less what I could.

"I'm happy with how I dealt with having a crash. It can happen.

"Obviously you don't want it to happen, and I'll make a big effort that it doesn't happen again. But I'm not the only one that will have a crash, and it won't be my last crash.

"It's part of being a racing driver.''