As part of a daily series in the run-up to the start of pre-season, Motorsport Week brings you brief left-field reflections and stories of teams, drivers and reserve/test drivers that will be part of the Formula 1 paddock in 2019.
Daniil Kvyat will return to Formula 1 this year for a third spell with Toro Rosso.
Four years ago he was preparing for the step up to Red Bull, which came off the back of Sebastian Vettel’s unexpected switch to Ferrari.
For 2015 Red Bull caused a stir when it introduced its RB11 at Jerez with a camouflaged livery, taking inspiration from the 'dazzle' schemes adopted by warships to confuse enemies, and more recently by road car manufacturers to disguise the shapes of sensitive bodywork components.
Daniel Ricciardo tested the car on the opening day of running but on day two Kvyat’s life with Red Bull began badly when he went off track on his out lap.
Kvyat’s excursion was a classic minor-moment-with-big-consequences for he damaged the front wing. It was the only front wing that Red Bull had available due to the tight time constraints of pre-season testing. Red Bull was forced to alter its run plan for the remainder of the day and Kvyat completed just 17 laps, all without a front wing, none of them timed efforts, as the team focused on the system checks it could undertake. Another part was ready by the following morning.
Red Bull, somewhat disappointingly, reverted to its normal colour scheme for the Grand Prix season.
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