Hartley wants a shot at the Bathurst 1000

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Toro Rosso's Brendon Hartley has put the famous Bathurst 1000 on his bucket list, hoping to race in the legendary event sometime in the future.

The 1,000 km touring car race is held annually on the grueling 6.21km Mount Panorama circuit and is widely regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport in Australia.

Hartley's former Porsche team mate Earl Bamber will running in the event in 2018 and Hartley would love nothing more than to follow one day in his friend's footsteps.

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"I love Bathurst, I did the 12 Hour (Bathurst race) in 2012 and I think it's one of the best tracks in the world," says the 28-year-old.

"It's something I would love to do one day, it's definitely not on the cards for next year, I'm fully focused on Formula 1, but especially on our side of the world that is an awesome race to tick off the list."

Hartley contends that the famous event is held in high esteem Down Under, and is as renowned as the Le Mans 24 Hours when it comes to endurance racing.

It's pretty well recognised and everyone's heard of Bathurst and knows what a special track it is," says the 2017 Le Mans winner.

"In terms of endurance racing, Le Mans is the biggest one, having 300,000 people there, that's something special. The atmosphere is electric and so much effort goes into it.

"Bathurst is the same on our side of the world. I haven't been to Bathurst for the 1000, but it's definitely on the list of things I'd like to do one day."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.