Kvyat a broken man

Daniil Kvyat has looked a broken man in the Formula One paddock, none more so than in Germany.

It’s a sign of just how quickly things can change in Formula One, especially if you are involved in the Red Bull Racing development driver programme.

In China, Daniil Kvyat was standing on the podium for Red Bull Racing, an excellent drive from the Russian and an audacious move going into the second corner earned him a probably unexpected podium [plus criticism from Vettel for what he considered a dangerous move].

But he quickly went from hero to zero in his home race in Russia, the Red Bull Racing driver punted Sebastian Vettel off the track not once, but twice!

Heading into the second corner Kvyat carried too much pace and bumped into the back of Vettel causing contact in front of him.

To make a bad situation worse, Kvyat then crashed into the back of Vettel for a second time in the third corner, spinning him off into the tyre wall forcing the German to retire and bring out a safety car.

Following the high profile incidents, Red Bull Racing used the situation to fast track Max Verstappen from Toro Rosso into the sister team in the process, bumping Kvyat back down to Toro Rosso.

Red Bull Racing saw instant rewards with Verstappen winning on his Red Bull debut, but for Kvyat, his career has nose dived.

It’s just not clear where his future lies.

The main team has locked in Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen for a number of years now, whilst Carlos Sainz has also extended his contract with Red Bull to remain with Toro Rosso.

Meanwhile Kvyat remains the ugly duckling, with everyone just assuming that it’s a matter of time before he makes way the latest young up-start to be given a chance.

At the age of 22, he looks at risk of being thrown onto the Formula One scrap heap, despite a GP3 Championship in 2013 and two podiums in F1.

But whilst it’s obviously disappointing for the Russian, he knows how the system works and he himself has previously benefited from it in the past when Daniel Ricciardo stepped up to Red Bull and then followed him after Sebastian Vettel’s move to Ferrari at the expense of Jean-Éric Vergne.

‘I can’t blame them for this of course, they made me a strong driver.

‘Now I’m not so strong because of what happened a few months ago, but it’s not an excuse, not an explanation.

‘These things, in the end, make you stronger again, but, of course, the whole situation made me reflect a bit on things, and it’s not easy.

‘It made me stop enjoying it for a while, but now I need to get this enjoyment back and love what I do again.’ Kvyat told motorsport.com.