January 5, 2026

From Karting Wins to Fiesta Juniors: Daniel Hartley’s Next Step

I recently sat down for an interview to talk about my racing journey so far and what’s coming next.

It started with karting and honestly, I just wanted to go faster every time I got in the seat. After stepping up through tougher championships, I had a few big moments that made me realise this could be something serious.

Then everything changed in August 2025 when I drove a car on circuit for the first time at Blightton. I’d never driven a car before, but it felt natural straight away and after a second day in a more race ready Fiesta, the lap times started coming down quickly.

The biggest news is that I’ve now been selected for the Speedworks Rising Stars development programme, backed by Toyota Gazoo Racing. It’s a full driver development package, and it means my focus now is training, learning, and putting the work in ahead of my first race weekend at Snetterton in April.

The full interview is embedded below.