AlphaTauri’s Daniil Kvyat has admitted he struggled to accept being passed-over in 2019 for a mid-season return to the Red Bull senior team, with teammate Alexander Albon instead replacing the under-performing Pierre Gasly.
Formerly racing for Red Bull in an up-and-down 23-race stint in 2015 and ’16, Kvyat has spent the time since trying to earn himself another shot at a front-of-the-pack seat, and believed he had accomplished that after his podium at the 2019 German Grand Prix.
Instead, the energy drinks outfit chose to promote his rookie teammate Albon.
“Let’s put it this way: I wasn’t happy for sure,” Kvyat told the Beyond the Grid podcast. “I cannot say that when I heard the decision I fully understood it and I fully agreed with it.
“For sure I was a bit like ‘it doesn’t sound right’.
“But if you look at it in a way, it can make sense. I’d been there already, and they need new blood always, they need to promote young drivers. This is what Red Bull does.
“It is OK. After a few days after that I took and accepted the decision, fine for me. I know my job. I know what I have to do, what I was hired to do and that is what I am going to do. It is enough for me like that.”
Indeed, Kvyat insists his own career is proof that all possibilities remain on the table.
“Everything in life is possible, absolutely. After what I’ve seen you can never say no to anything anymore,” he said.
“What I also learned, you don’t want to be dwelling or dreaming about the thought all the time. It is just important to focus on your job, that you’ve been assigned with.
“Right now what Red Bull has assigned me with is to deliver best result possible for AlphaTauri, and that is what I am going to focus on.
“And as life shows, everything is open to you if the results that you deliver are good enough.”