In one of several driver line-up changes for F1 in 2015 – and perhaps one that hasn’t got much attention relatively speaking – Daniil Kvyat gets his opportunity in a front line team at Red Bull following his freshman season at Toro Rosso.
Speaking today at a team event in Milton Keynes, the young Russian in his words displayed supreme confidence in his ability to make the step-up to the front-running team successfully. Whether it is ingratiating with his new abode, handling pressure, or even at the prospect of race wins.
One matter of several that he was bold on was whether he could replicate the strong impression that his new team-mate Daniel Ricciardo made at the same team last year.
“That’s what you should always aim for,” he said, “because we’re here competing on the highest level possible, and I don’t think you have another choice to be honest. So you just have to just keep working hard, pull it all together and hopefully it brings us some good things in the future,” he told Grand Prix Times.
He also expects a strong relationship with the Australian: “With Daniel, we know each other six years already. I expect competition but it should be a healthy good competition.”
Another thing that Kvyat apparently takes in his stride is the prospect of winning a race this year, and in so doing becoming the first Russian to win a Grand Prix: “It’s not something that pressures on my mind,” he insisted. “I think it’s something that pushes me forward instead. I think that’s how you should be using this sort of energy, transforming that energy to the positive one. It would be great, we’ll see.
“As a driver we’re always racing for that [wins], it’s a great opportunity to have this seat with Red Bull. Just let it be and nothing else. I don’t want to think about it too deeply. If we have enough pace to do it we need to go for it as always and that’s it…The aim is high.”
His boss Christian Horner meanwhile is equally sure that his young charge will impress and do so quickly.
“I think in Kvyat we’ve got a really fast, determined, intelligent driver,” he said. “Sure he’s a little bit rough around the edges…but his commitment, his speed, his application are excellent.
“I’d envisage the odd mistake here or there but that’s natural with a young driver on the trajectory he’s on. I really think he can be surprise of this year in the same way that Daniel was last year. He has all the right attributes to do some really fantastic things this year.”
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