Brendon Hartley will retain his Porsche factory driver status for the 2019 season following his Formula𓆏 1 exit.

Hartley became a Porsche factory driver in 2014 upon joining its LMP1 line-up, and remained on the 🐼books of the German marque despite his move into F1 with Toro Rosso-Honda at the end of last year.

Hartley was dropped from Toro Rosso’s F1 line-up for 2019 after scoriღng only four points🙈 this year, finishing second-from-bottom in the drivers’ standings.

The New Zealander said earlier this week he was considering his options for next year, and was confirmed on Saturday night to be continuing as a Porsche factory driver through 201♐9.

Hartley is part of a largely-unchanged factory driver line-up for Porsche🧸, as announced as its Night of Champ꧑ions event in Stuttgart.

However, Hartley was not named to any of the team’s sports car line-ups for 2019 that included a four-cౠar factory GT effort for the 2ꦐ4 Hours of Le Mans.

Hartley has been linked t🔥o racing for Porsche in Formula E upon its entry to the championship in late 2019, and gained experience testing a car from the all-electric🌟 series in the weeks leading up to his shock F1 entry.

Porsche motorsport chief Fritz Enzinger confirmed at the Night of Champions that its first Formula E driver was “already decided” and would be ⭕“announced shortly” ahead of the start of testing this๊ spring.

The only change to the factory driver squad at Weissach f🐽or next year is the addition of Jaxon Evans, 22, who won the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia in 2018.