Daniil Kvyat, Ferrari, 2018

Kvyat could return to Toro Rosso again, Horner confirms

2019 F1 season

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Daniil Kvyat could return to Toro Rosso for the second time in his career in the 2019 F1 season, according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

Kvyat, who was dropped by the team before the end of last season, has been rumoured as a potential replacement for Red Bull-bound Pierre Gasly alongside Brendon Hartley.

“There’s always rumours this time of year, Monza being a hotbed of that,” Horner told Sky.

“I think the situation with Toro Rosso is pretty open so i think everything is being considered. He’s one of several drivers who are on the list.”

Red Bull has been forced to consider an unorthodox replacement for Gasly as it does not have any drivers in its Junior Team who will have enough FIA superlicence points at the end of the year to move up into Formula 1.

Kvyat made his F1 debut for Toro Rosso in 2014 and was promoted to Red Bull as Sebastian Vettel’s replacement the year after. However the team relegated him back to Toro Rosso two races into 2016, promoting Max Verstappen.

Kvyat remained at Toro Rosso for another year in 2017, but was dropped as they team brought Gasly and Hartley into the team for the final races. The 24-year-old is currently a simulator driver for Ferrari.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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48 comments on “Kvyat could return to Toro Rosso again, Horner confirms”

  1. Horner and Marko are very proud and eager to comment about not hiring outsiders because they belive in young blood coming through their ranks, so now they are thinking about re-hiring Kvyat? something doesn’t add up…

    1. @fer-no65
      Yeah. Its like they do not have a choice.
      It will be interesting to see the ‘torpedo’ back on the grid.
      He has a point to prove. His demotion hurt his confidence last time around. May be he will come back stronger.
      Not sure about how Sebastian will feel though…

      1. Its like they do not have a choice.

        They really don’t, @webtel, that’s the problem. That’s why they are giving a 2nd chance to guys like Hartley and now possibly Kvyat. It’s like after the Verstappen coup they stopped giving their program the necessary consideration, hence the lack of options now.

        1. I wouldnt say its a lack of consideration, its more to do with diminishing the talent pool quicker than anticipiated.

  2. If Torro Rosso are open to rehiring old blood, I’d have thought Jean-Eric Vergne would be the better choice – current FE contract issues aside.

    There is a reason Kvyat fell out of favour with the Red Bull camp. The 2014 final standings are in JEVs favour too, beating Kyvat 22-8. He also performed fairly well against Ricciardo in 2013, considering his appalling reliability and luck that year.

    1. That was just a luck to get 8 points in Singapore. Kvyat had far more issues back in season sticking him to last places.
      Next year Kvyat outperformed Ricciardo clean. And with far more technical issues than Ricciardo.

    2. When they asked him (Vergne) last time when substitute for Sainz was nedeed he refused and they were forced to bring back Hartley.

    3. I agree, Vergne was perhaps one of the best drivers to be dropped from F1 in recent years, easily better than much of the current grid

      1. Certainly, he used to be in my top 3, some guys named Sebastian and Lewis weren’t

    4. @barnstable1 – Very much agree JEV would be the best choice if they insist on a former STR driver. Having doubts that would ever happen though, even with a shot at a full season as opposed to a one off race. Would still love to see it happen though.

    5. @barnstable1 JEV has already pointed out about not being interested in driving for STR anymore even if offered a drive. He’s implied that he’d be willing to return to F1 as a full-time driver only if it were at a team in which he could really show his talent, i.e., neither a midfield nor a backmarker-level car.

    6. Red Bull should hire JEV for the main team and leave Gasly at Toro Rosso. But as we know it won’t happen.

  3. I don’t understand why STR would want any one of their F1 rejects. They were dropped for a reason.

    Imho they should go for young drivers like they used to. For example Alexander Albon (also a former RB junior). Or for one of the current F1 youngsters who might lose their seat, like Vandoorne.

    1. Red Bull can still get a ‘new’ driver from their own Young Driver Programme.

      In August 2014 they accepted a promising young driver into the programme and a week later confirmed him as a STR regular ;)

    2. He’s not so bad, as the likes of Maldonado, Gutirerez, Chilton or other dropped drivers were, he can surely get more points than Hartley.

      Or maybe they want him for the info he gathered as a development driver at Ferrari. Ofcourse, he doesn’t have access at important inside stuff, but he can tell STR (and more importantly RBR) what the Ferrari engine feels like, strenghts / weaknesses, what the aero improvments are to be found on th STR vs Ferrari, etc

  4. @silfen I think Albon needs to finish 4th this season to get the super licence points, so it’s not looking that likely. But I agree, I really like him.

    No spoilers though please. I’ve not watched last weekend’s races yet!

    1. @gongtong

      I think Albon needs to finish 4th this season to get the super licence points, so it’s not looking that likely. But I agree, I really like him.

      Seeing as you don’t want to be ‘spoilered’: Albon was sitting 3rd in the drivers’ championship before last weekend, with a 27 points advantage over 4th place. Things were (and might still be, not telling) looking pretty good for him if he needs 4th place.

  5. Would love to see JEV and Daniel!

  6. This is the silliest of silly seasons.

  7. Keep Hartley!

  8. José Lopes da Silva
    31st August 2018, 13:43

    Just to remark that Kvyat never outperformed Ricciardo.

  9. I highly doubt it. Firstly; his time at STR more or less came to an end already when it did since he had already driven at that team for nearly three full seasons, and even if he were offered to return, I doubt he’d take it after how the partnership with the company that backed his career from around 2010 all the way through to F1 came to an end.

  10. Honestly, what is this silly season we are having?

  11. Rather see JEV or Buemi back to be honest. My issue wasn’t so much with DK’s ability behind the wheel but rather his spectacularly arrogant, petulant attitude.

    1. spectacularly arrogant, petulant attitude.

      True that. He had a lot of growing up to do in that regard. Maybe a year away from F1 has made him a more well-rounded individual.

  12. Great news, i always liked Kvyat even though i sometime doubt if hes skilled enough.

  13. I would love to see them give someone from indycar a chance. Since Haas won’t.
    I know the driver wouldn’t be fighting for wins but it would give him the chance to show his talent.
    Plus if things go great, he could get a shot at a good team or worst case return to indycar.

  14. Ocon may want a seat, just saying…

    1. Indeed, they would steal a good driver from the mercedes academy, would be a good hit, and certainly better than kvyat or most others they’d want to bring back.

  15. This is a very silly season , I just got a phone call from Marko……..

    1. Lol…

    2. He must be really desperate for someone to fill the 2nd seat at toro rosso to call people who (I assume ofc) haven’t raced in pre-f1 series!

  16. JEV is not just a driver in Formula E he is current champion and shareholder in TECHEETAH. No doubt he is happier and in a better space right now. I think he would have considered a Red Bull seat maybe but not STR.

    1. This

  17. I would say that this would be his 4th stint at Toro Rosso. First stint was 2014. 2nd was 2015 Spanish to 2016 some race. Then 3rd stint was the 2016 US Grand prix. And if he comes back, that would be 4th stint.

    1. @Sumedh You got 2014 right, but not the rest. It went like this: The first stint was 2014, yes, but then the 2nd ran from, not 2015, but 2016 Spanish GP till last season’s Singapore GP, after which, he returned to the team for one more race at the US GP the same season before losing the drive again, but this time, permanently, and subsequently also left the RB-family altogether.

      1. And he got a point in the last race of his career (unless he gets back again), better than I’d have expected from him.

  18. More possible rumors inside Toro Rosso…

    They could be considering one of the 3 Sébastiens – Buemi, Bourdais or Loeb, not Vettel. Could JEV be given a long deserved reprieve? In case of not being able to get Neel Jani’s contact info they are also considering bringing back Scott Speed…

  19. This is great news… for Verstappen.
    Going by past form, he’s guaranteed a win win Kvyat eventually gets dropped again!

    1. * A win when.
      Stupid auto correct

      1. Yes, true, I was really surprised when he won in austria this year, he finally proved to be capable of winning without kvyat helping!

  20. I don’t see why Kvyat would be interested. Maybe if they offered him a good salary package and a seat at Red Bull Racing then he might be interested, but it’ll bring back lots of bad memories. There’s just to much uncertainty regarding the Honda engine, and it could be the Team Principals and Dr Marko will blame him when one of the engines doesn’t last 7 races. For example, say after Melbourne Honda decide to replace the engine his car, then Suspect Number 1 is Kvyat. “It’s YOUR fault the engine needed to be replaced!!!” No, I think he’s better off going to another racing series like Indycar or in some sort of saloon car racing series and getting fame and fortune there.

    1. Yes, but in any case they’d never ask him for a red bull seat, gasly was decent, kvyat after the demotion was really bad, and if he wants to come back to f1 (not saying he does), he’d do well to accept ANY seat, just like kubica, williams is better than nothing if you want to come back.

  21. Thomas Bennett (@felipemassadobrasil)
    31st August 2018, 19:14

    My honest and rational opinion:
    ?!?!!?!!?!!?!!?!!?!??!?!??!

  22. Michael Brown (@)
    31st August 2018, 19:39

    They threw out Algeursuari and Vergne and now they’re stuck with Kvyat. Serves them right.

  23. I had no idea Kvyat was a development driver for Ferrari. I bet Vettel really enjoys his presence.

    1. Actually Ferrari thanked their simulator crew during Canada race for setup work that help Sebastian his setup wasn’t good enough. So yes Vettel should enjoy.

  24. the thing is they will want big bucks now

Comments are closed.