Tost: Kvyat “wanted to do too much, and sought success by any means”

In 2017, Toro Rosso wanted to enter the top 5 of the best teams in Formula 1. The objective was not achieved, and to make matters worse, the duel with Renault was also lost during the last round in Abu Dhabi. 7th place in the Manufacturers' standings is therefore not likely to satisfy Franz Tost, the main team of the Italian team.

According to the boss of Toro Rosso, the lack of stability in the identity of the drivers explains the drop in speed in the second half of the season. Only one point has been scored in Austin (Texas) in the last six events, by starter-turned-replacement Daniil Kvyat. “We had a very good start to the season, we were 5th in the general classification, or very close,” he confided to the official F1 website. Then, we were not as competitive as hoped, for different reasons, the main one being the departure of Carlos Sainz Jr (after Japan). This didn't help us at all. »

“We noticed among the other teams that a certain idea of ​​stability is necessary to be victorious. It's a luxury we never had. Changing both drivers during the year is hard to accept (Daniil Kvyat having been fired after an accident in Singapore), and had significant consequences on the team's performance. However, Carlos' transfer to Renault was part of the contract with the engine manufacturer. We had a fully valid contract with Renault for 2018 and as compensation we had to give them Carlos if we left the contract. You see, you can't have everything in life", analyzes Franz Tost.

As for Daniil Kvyat, his last few months have been more than eventful. Returning to Toro Rosso in the spring of 2016, the Russian was ousted from the team last September, before being recalled for a one-shot in the United States. Despite finishing in the points, the leaders of the sister team of Red Bull decided to separate definitively from himi. As a good diplomat, Franz Tost remains “convinced of Daniil’s natural speed”. “He was sometimes faster than Daniel Ricciardo during his Red Bull period, but somehow he didn't show his potential this year. He's been involved in a lot of incidents, but in his defense I have to admit that he's had a lot of reliability issues. This didn't help him build his confidence. »

Daniil Kvyat's weak point was his propensity to destroy his race, and even that of his opponents, from the first turns. “He was too aggressive a few times at the start of the race. The first braking was its negative point. He wanted to do too much, and sought success by all means! He actually found himself under pressure, unnecessary stress, and it never works like that. »

Franz Tost even suggests a break to help his former protégé remobilize. “We will probably see Daniil return to his true performance level with another formation. I hope for him that he gets another chance, because I believe he deserves to be in F1. » The Russian could then follow a similar trajectory to Brendon Hartley ; brooded by Red Bull in his younger years, the New Zealander had lost the support of the red bull, before gaining maturity in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). “Brendon has always been fast, and he's back with us at the age of 28. Something similar could well happen regarding Daniil”, concludes Franz Tost.