Hartley moves on to Mexico with new number

Toro Rosso rookie Brendon Hartley will switch to a new permanent race number at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend as he continues his F1 initiation.

The Faenza-based squad's game of musical chairs has hopefully come to an end, with the Kiwi remaining on board alongside Pierre Gasly for the remainder of the 2017 season after Dany Kvyat's dismissal.

• Kvyat dropped by Toro Rosso, permanently

Hartley raced with #39 in Austin, Toro Rosso's reserve number, but will now switch to #28, a number last used in F1 in 2015 by Manor's Will Stevens.

"I'm so excited to head to Mexico for my second Formula 1 Grand Prix," said the 27-year-old who finished P13 on his race debut last weekend.

"It was a steep learning curve in Austin last week, so I'm looking forward to putting some of the lessons learnt into practice this weekend here in Mexico.

"It's a tricky venue for the engineers, as the high altitude plays havoc on downforce and cooling, but from a driving point of view it's a great track and one I really enjoy."

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