Kvyat Out Again As Hartley Returns for Mexico

[Paul Jeffrey]

Daniil Kvyat has been dropped by the Red Bull / Toro Rosso group once again, this time making way for WEC ace Brendon Hartley at the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix.

Kvyat must be looking very firmly at the Formula One exit door following this latest career setback at Toro Rosso, finding himself once again displaced for another driver with considerably less current Grand Prix racing experience.

In a short statement issued by Toro Rosso today, the Italian squad confirmed that both Austin rookie Brendon Hartley and young Frenchman Pierre Gasly will form the third consecutive different driving line up this coming weekend for Toro Rosso, very firmly indicating that a future with the Red Bull backed outfit looks unlikely for the 23-year-old Russian Kvyat.

Although very little is known about the current length of the new Hartley / Toro Rosso arrangement beyond Mexico, it could well be possible that this is a golden opportunity for the 27-year-old Kiwi to stamp his authority over the prospects of a full time drive next season, very much bucking the trend of younger Formula One debutants in recent seasons.

The full statement from Toro Rosso can be read below:

Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Driver Line-Up for the upcoming 2017 Mexican Grand Prix will be formed by the following pairing: Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley.

It is thought that Kvyat was looking for assurances over his Grand Prix future in recent days, and with the rather startling announcement of the new driving line up pretty much answering the driver in the most dramatic of ways, it could very well be the end of the road for a driver that promised so much but has sadly delivered so little in his time in the top flight of open wheel motorsport.

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Do you think Toro Rosso have made the right call to drop Kvyat? Can Hartley make a mark in Grand Prix racing? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

Delighted. Rate Hartley highly, rate Kvyat not one little bit.


Good call TR

 

[Tobiman]

I doubt Kyvat will get the boot. Hartley won't perform up to expectations next race.

 

[Rob]

My favorite part of the weekend was listening to the endless soap opera about who the latest and freshest looking (and most ethnically diverse) driver would be for next year, when, all of the sudden, Juan Pablo Montoya popped up on my screen, and I started laughing uncontrollably. Not at Pablo.

 

[Steve Worrell]

I doubt Kyvat will get the boot. Hartley won't perform up to expectations next race.

What makes you say that? Not saying you're wrong, just interested in to what makes you think Hartley won't perform.

 

[shimon.ifraimov]

kvyat has some speed he just makes silly mistakes sometimes, he did really well in cota.
hope to see him back next season, if not at TR then another team.

 

[Tobiman]

What makes you say that? Not saying you're wrong, just interested in to what makes you think Hartley won't perform.

He wasn't anywhere near Kyvat all day in lap times. Gasly was a bit competitive with sainz in malaysia.

 

[Stuart Gillard]

My favorite part of the weekend was listening to the endless soap opera about who the latest and freshest looking (and most ethnically diverse) driver would be for next year, when, all of the sudden, Juan Pablo Montoya popped up on my screen, and I started laughing uncontrollably. Not at Pablo.

When I saw him yesterday in the Williams pits I did think to myself it would be great to see him back in an F1 car to add more excitement back into F1, I did enjoy many of the races he competed in, he was always an entertaining driver to watch and pulled off some seriously impressive moves in his time.

 

[apex11]

He wasn't anywhere near Kyvat all day in lap times. Gasly was a bit competitive with sainz in malaysia.

Hartly bloke was about as good as I'd expect any progress driver, getting in a F1 car and stroking it home at the back isn't worthy of any wowfactor IMO, he's old he's slow, what really is the point over than to prove anyone car jump into current F1 cars and drive around..

 

[paracletus]

Was a bit mediocre today to be brutally honest, but will give the benefit of doubt for another race.
Gasly was a lot quicker after one try in the car, as mentioned.

 

[antirussia81]

kvyat has some speed he just makes silly mistakes sometimes, he did really well in cota.
hope to see him back next season, if not at TR then another team.

I have a perfect team for him.
Torpedo Moscow.

 

[Jeremy Talbot]

I thought he did OK to be honest. To step into an open wheeler for the first time in 5 years or whatever it was and have a clean race, didn't run off the road or anything and bring it home in 13th is quite an achievement. More than what could be said about some well established drivers on that track.

Having had the seat time he'll be more competitive, hopefully no more grid penalties as well. Don't forget he's a WEC champion with great fuel economy so he'll be fast with less fuel than most of the other drivers

 

[RufGTI]

If Kvyat is kicked out of TR he is going to drive an SMP LMP1 in WEC next year. Maybe that's not as glorious as staying in F1 but at least he doesn't has to deal with that sociopath Helmut Marko anymore.

 

[Bruce Banner]

Personally I'd have kept Kvyat and Hartley for the remaining races this season , with Gasly being promised a seat for 2018 , and used those races to evaluate who would get the other seat next season . Unfortunately , none of the drivers Toro Rosso currently have are as good as Sainz who had a stellar race on his Renault debut and will be massively missed by the team . If he carries on driving like that Renault may just end up being a stepping stone to bigger things for him .

 

[Coffer]

Personally I'd have kept Kvyat and Hartley for the remaining races this season , with Gasly being promised a seat for 2018 , and used those races to evaluate who would get the other seat next season . Unfortunately , none of the drivers Toro Rosso currently have are as good as Sainz who had a stellar race on his Renault debut and will be massively missed by the team . If he carries on driving like that Renault may just end up being a stepping stone to bigger things for him .

Fair point, but at the same time if Gasly is supposed to get a guaranteed seat next season, why not train him in order to make sure he's up to speed with the sport sooner? It's one of those weird conundrums where running KVY-HAR, KVY-GAS and HAR-GAS all have their benefits and downsides - with KVY-HAR you get to test both drivers out, with KVY-GAS you have the highest amount of raw pace at the present moment, and with HAR-GAS you get to see what the rookies have in store against one another and it's the lineup with the most potential in the long term.

I also disagree with all of them being worse than Sainz. The Renault is an excellent car this season, and while Palmer made it look much worse than it really is, Hulkenberg himself isn't anything to write home about. I reckon Gasly will surpass Sainz after about a season or two.

If Kvyat is kicked out of TR he is going to drive an SMP LMP1 in WEC next year. Maybe that's not as glorious as staying in F1 but at least he doesn't has to deal with that sociopath Helmut Marko anymore.

Yep, I don't think he's got what it takes to stay in F1 right now but at the very least escaping Red Bull ought to rejuvenate him. He did destroy Sainz in GP3 and beat Ricciardo in 2015, after all, so he clearly has some semblance of potential, but with his mind being as fragile as he is he's likely to become one of those drivers who needs a cozy environment to really thrive.

A shame there aren't more teams in F1 right now. I'd like to see what Kvyat could do in another team, but right now it's not looking like he'll ever get another chance outside of Toro Rosso, so LMP1 will likely be his next destination.

 

[Rob]

Personally I'd have kept Kvyat and Hartley for the remaining races this season , with Gasly being promised a seat for 2018 , and used those races to evaluate who would get the other seat next season . Unfortunately , none of the drivers Toro Rosso currently have are as good as Sainz who had a stellar race on his Renault debut and will be massively missed by the team . If he carries on driving like that Renault may just end up being a stepping stone to bigger things for him .

Too much attention now. I was kind of hoping he would become another Rossi or Montoya or Sato.

 

[Tony]

I thought he did OK to be honest. To step into an open wheeler for the first time in 5 years or whatever it was and have a clean race, didn't run off the road or anything and bring it home in 13th is quite an achievement. More than what could be said about some well established drivers on that track.

Having had the seat time he'll be more competitive, hopefully no more grid penalties as well. Don't forget he's a WEC champion with great fuel economy so he'll be fast with less fuel than most of the other drivers

you're opinion does not count as your a kiwi as well, lol

 

[John Addison]

I have been a bit miffed at the way the old man with the red bulls have treated Kvyat?? I mean I get the original switch with Max, Danny was having serious issues at the time but the kid can drive and he has pace. I just think there may be something underlying we may not know about.
I wish him well.

 

[GTRacer123]

Well lots say his pace is not keeping up, that's why they've done that. I would like to see him suit up a hockey gear and blast some slapshots haha!

 

[Nick Gregory]

2016: Demoted from Red Bull
2017: Demoted from Toro Rosso
2018: Demoted from F1