Daniil Kvyat’s story with Red Bull Racing is full of twists and turns. When Max Verstappen initially appeared on the scene, the Russian driver had to stand down from Red Bull and take over driving duties at Toro Rosso. After a rough stay, he had to leave the squad and spend a year as Ferrari’s development driver. However, after a year with the team, he approached Helmut Marko and discussed giving him another shot at Toro Rosso, as reported by GP Blog.
After joining Toro Rosso in 2016, Kvyat scored 25 points and one podium, finishing P14 in the drivers’ standings. Things took a turn for the worst in 2017, as Kvyat managed only 5 points whole season, finishing 19th. Following the performances, Red Bull changed their driving lineup and parted ties with the Russian.
Kvyat fared better in 2019, scoring 37 points and one podium during the season to finish 13th. However, Pierre Gasly (Kvyat’s 2019 Toro Rosso teammate) outperformed the Russian, finishing seventh and earning 95 points and one podium. With Gasly once again outscoring Kvyat in 2020, the Milton Keynes-based team decided to say goodbye for forever.
Kvyat, despite never being teammates, became the first victim of Max Verstappen’s prowess. The 29-year-old revealed that Marko had already hinted at a possible roster change for Red Bull.
The former Red Bull and Toro Rosso driver also stated that after Gasly’s departure, there were talks about him pairing with Verstappen at Red Bull, but there were other “games” going on behind the scenes, and Red Bull chose to bring Alex Albon up instead.
