Dr Helmut Marko doubts Dannil Kvyat's now two-race spat with Sebastian Vettel will spill into even more race weekends. The pair argued before going onto the podium in China, before German Vettel launched a foul-mouthed radio tirade against the Russian in the wake of their Sochi clash.
Maurizio Arrivabene said Vettel had also gone "ballistic" behind closed doors, but Marko, Kvyat's boss, doubts the former Red Bull driver will hold a grudge. "I think Sebastian is so logical that he knows revenge will bring nothing to him. Instead he has to focus on getting good starts and bringing the car home in one piece. So I don't believe this will be a problem," said the Austrian.
Marko agrees with Ferrari's Vettel that Kvyat was entirely to blame for Sochi and vowed to speak to the 22-year-old. "Let's cool down a bit," he said. "During the week, we will talk about this." Amid his dark period, Kvyat is at least receiving some backing from the F1 paddock.
"Daniil made a mistake with the first contact," veteran David Coulthard told Tass news agency, "but for the second one he didn't expect such a sharp deceleration from Vettel. Unfortunately, after a great race in China, Kvyat disappointed on his home track but he remains a terrific driver," he added.
Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos agrees: "Kvyat misjudged the braking with the first touch, but the second was a racing incident. It is of course very bad that you take the lead Ferrari off, but it seems that Vettel had a problem," he told Ziggo Sport Totaal. "That corner is basically full throttle but you can see that Vettel is off the gas."
Nevertheless, it is an awkward time for Kvyat, amid intense speculation that Max Verstappen is being lined up to replace him for 2017. "The Russian has a few months to prove himself to (team boss) Christian Horner," former F1 driver Franck Montagny told Le Point.
"He is clearly in danger of losing his place in the team. With what happened in China he is now under a lot of pressure. For next year it is likely that Red Bull will prefer one of the two Toro Rosso drivers," he predicted. (GMM)
Replies (6)
Login to replymclarenfan1968
Posts: 1,027
Revenge only works if the foe is smart enough to get it that they have been pwned. Kvyat is a blind bonehead with no more intellect than a chickpea, revenge would indeed be pointless waste of energy and thought.
mclarenfan1968
Posts: 1,027
Oh and Max is definitely taking his seat next year, this weekend just ensured and sealed the fate. Who are we kidding here really?
Vet5
Posts: 225
I agree with you mate, I think the only way Vertappen won't get a race seat at RBR is if he f**ks up on a much higher scale than Kvyat, which I highly doubt
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
A pro doesnt need to take revenge, and if anyone is a pro, its Vettel. As for if they should ditch Kvyat... Maybe, but he isnt a bad driver, he is just very incosistent and had one outright embarrassing race (Russia). Lots of drivers have had one of those, but it doesnt mean I want e.g Grosjean gone. He do need to work on his weaknesses though, or else Red Bull might want to look for another driver... Though Im not sure Verstappen is ready for that seat yet.
khasmir
Posts: 893
Why would he need revenge? Vettel made it clear what he thought about Kvyat in China and then Kvyat just confirmed it at the next race.
I hope he is feeling pretty stupid now, at least that means he has some common sense in that tiny brain of this.
Other teams have been eyeing Ricciardo but that is no guarantee Kvyat will keep his seat. Sainz and Verstappen are not that far apart so when Ricciardo leaves both of them might get promoted to RB. They seem to be getting along pretty well which is also something to consider.
Vet5
Posts: 225
I do really hope Ricciardo does get a seat at Ferrari next year, they were a good duo in 2014! But I think if Ricciardo was to leave RBR, they would keep Kvyat and promote Verstappen. Though leaving RBR could be a major mistake, especially if the 2017 rules are applied for cars to be more focused on aero rather than just pure power, which we all know RBR and McLaren lead the way in the aero department