Kvyat: “It was a rollercoaster, a bit like my entire career!”
It was with this spin that the Russian driver summed up his German Grand Prix, finishing in an impressive third place, marking the third podium of his career... and the second for Toro Rosso, over 10 years after Vettel's victory!
Who would have bet on it? 3 years and 3 months later, Daniil Kvyat returns to a Formula 1 podium! The color of the suit is slightly different this time: still within the Red Bull fold, but with another winged bull, that of Toro Rosso.
Starting 14th at Hockenheim, the Russian took advantage of numerous Safety Car interventions to climb into the top positions. Kvyat clearly hit the jackpot on the last passage of the Mercedes driven by Bernd Maylander. Having pitted a lap before the top contenders, the Toro Rosso driver slipped into third place, behind another surprise, Lance Stroll in his Racing Point. But Kvyat didn’t stop there and overtook the Canadian immediately after. A maneuver that counted at the finish: passed by Vettel in the penultimate lap, Kvyat still held on to third place, meaning an unexpected podium. The Russian also benefited from Bottas’ crash, who was chasing him, on lap 57.
“It’s crazy to be back on the podium. After all these years with Toro Rosso, it’s great to bring a podium to the team,” Kvyat stated emotionally, thinking of his team, as Toro Rosso hadn’t tasted the podium in over 10 years. The last (and only) Toro Rosso driver in the top 3? Sebastian Vettel, historic winner at Monza… in September 2008.
« The race was crazy and I actually managed to get everything in order to get this podium. This race was a horror movie mixed with dark humor. I thought the race was over for me but everything came back to life afterwards! It was the mountains, a bit like my entire career! »
And as good things never come alone, the Russian driver is also a father to a little girl since last night, his first child. Daniil Kvyat is thus one of the stars of this weekend in Germany. He ultimately overshadowed Alexander Albon, his teammate. After being in the top 5 for a long time and resisting Hamilton for a few laps, the Thai driver finally slipped to sixth place at the end of the race, which is still the best result of his young career. However, Albon also stood out for an aggressive move on Gasly, which caused the Frenchman’s retirement. A maneuver under investigation, which was ultimately not sanctioned by the stewards.
Saturday – becomes a father 👶
Sunday – on the podium at Hockenheim 🏆
An incredible 24 hours in the life of @kvyatofficial 😍 #F1 #GermanGP 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/saZm4yV2eY— Formula 1 (@F1) July 28, 2019
