Danil Kvyat on his F1 career: “The circumstances have not been favorable to me”
The Russian, former member of the Red Bull team, commented on his time in Formula 1. He notably mentioned his demotion to Toro Rosso in 2016 and revealed the difficulty of watching the one who replaced him win three world titles.
On Thursday, May 5, 2016, will remain a landmark day in Formula 1 history. On that day, Red Bull made the decision to replace one of its two regular drivers, Russian Daniil Kvyat, with the young Dutch talent Max Verstappen, who was racing for Toro Rosso. A sudden but logical choice due to the Russian’s start to the season, who, despite a podium in China, was primarily the center of attention due to his incidents with Vettel in China, but especially in Russia, where, twice, Kvyat collided with the German driver’s Ferrari, which eventually sent him into the wall. The situation was all the more difficult for him because, in his first Grand Prix with Red Bull in Spain, Max Verstappen took advantage of the collision between the two Mercedes cars to claim his first victory.
A demotion from which the Russian has never recovered.
Very quickly, the Russian driver realized that his chance had passed and that he would not be able to return to a top team. Eventually demoted to the Italian team alongside Carlos Sainz in 2016 and 2017, the Russian even left the discipline for a year before returning to AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso) alongside Pierre Gasly in 2019 and 2020, during which he achieved his last podium at the 2019 German Grand Prix. However, the Russian driver recently admitted to the media that he would have liked to have a better career, as he was seen as a promising young driver when he entered the category in 2014, having just won the GP3 championship the previous year.
« I will always look back on this period knowing that I did not make the most of this opportunity. I had the potential to at least fight for the championship as a driver. Of course, luck plays a role. In Formula 1, it depends on many factors whether you win or not. And you are always dependent on the equipment you have, as we have clearly seen recently. » Kvyat said to Formule1.nl that he feels he has never had equipment that could allow him to show his full potential, a factor that unfortunately often occurs in Formula 1, where you need to be able to be in the right place at the right time. « In fact, it is often the car that dictates who finishes first, fifth, or tenth ».
A stroke of bad luck at Red Bull according to Kvyat
« In other words, the stars must also be a little aligned for you in Formula 1, so that you find yourself in the best car as the best driver. Of course, to win, you have to do a lot of things right, but what I’m trying to say is that a certain number of circumstances also need to be on your side. And that hasn’t always been given to me.
» The Russian went on to say that Verstappen, on his side, had this luck, which allowed him to prove his worth to the Austrian team, which made him their team leader. A ultimately wise choice since the Dutchman has won three championships with this team.
» Striking words from a driver who could have had a better career.
However, F1 is a challenging environment where every mistake can be fatal, with the Russian having indeed paid the price. Nevertheless, he will be remembered for a fairly long career, filled with highs (three podiums in Formula 1) but also lows, and which could ultimately have taken a different turn, completely changing the course of history in Formula 1 in the following years, with a Verstappen who may not have had the opportunity at Red Bull.
