AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat says he hopes a strong end to the 2020 season will boost his prospects of a 2022 seat, should he lose his drive for next year.
With team-mate Pierre Gasly already confirmed at the Red Bull sister team for 2021, Yuki Tsunoda, who is part of Red Bull’s junior programme, has been tipped for the second seat.
Last time out at Imola, Kvyat scored his best result of the season with a late-race charge to fourth place.
Kvyat recognises that his future is not entirely out of his hands, as he is buoyant that a strong end to the current campaign will increase his stock.
“I think it’s never really out of your hands,” Kvyat stated. “I think it is important.
“My philosophy is always important to keep pushing, no matter what. The better you do, the better there are the chances, if not for 2021 then for 2022.
“So you know, it’s always best to do races like in Imola, whenever you can. Of course, I always try my best. In Imola it just came very well together.
“Also, the car performed very well. And that’s the aim, you know, just to try to do as many good races as it was in Imola, and the things will be looking good anyway.
“Then, you know, some things are in my control, which is driving, and some other things a bit out of my control.”
AlphaTauri currently sits seventh in the Constructors’ Championship and is aiming to usurp Ferrari for sixth across the final four races.
With just 14 points separating the two teams, Kvyat says the changing pace advantage from race-to-race means AlphaTauri can only do “our best” to beat its fellow Italian marque.
“We’ve been very close for a while now already all year with Ferrari, and we try to, of course, do our best,” he said.
“It’s always been, sometimes they are a bit ahead, sometimes we are. And in Imola we managed to cut a little bit the points deficit, but we need to keep working.
“And also, of course, scoring with both cars will be very helpful. It’s going to take a good team job to try and outscore them until the end of the year. And we’ll definitely do our best.”
