Kvyat does not feel pressure from the Russian public
Daniiil Kvyat is about to experience his second home Grand Prix. Last year, the Russian was not quite a prophet in his own country and intends to make amends this Sunday, buoyed rather than intimidated by the support of his country.
Daniil Kvyat was naturally the center of much public attention for the first Russian Grand Prix in Formula 1 history last October. After an excellent qualifying session finishing in 5th place, the Toro Rosso driver, however, became disillusioned during the race and crossed the checkered flag in 14th position.
So he doesn’t necessarily have a good memory of this experience: « Yes, the qualification was great, but the race was just… how can I say… well, it was crap. We had issues with fuel consumption during the race and it was simply a disappointing day. I hope we can give our fans more reasons to cheer this year. »
Behind the wheel this time of a more competitive Red Bull, the Russian, at just 21 years old, is not overly impressed by national pressure: “You sometimes draw quite a bit of attention, but that’s part of the game, and you have to accept it. (…) You must understand that fans come to support you and that’s something really special – I’m happy to attract the attention of the fans, it gives you an extra boost of motivation.”
The Sochi race, where engine power is undoubtedly more critical than usual, should not, however, work in favor of Daniil Kvyat and his Renault power unit, from which Red Bull is still awaiting the first real developments this season.
