D A N I I L K V YAT
WorldMags.net
COATES/LAT
Q&A
JAMES KEY
Are there still some rough edges in his
technique to smooth out?
I think his awareness of tyre management is
much better than it was. We struggled a bit
at the beginning of last year, mainly because
of a lack of winter testing. But I think he was
pretty clear on that by the end of the year.
He definitely got qualifying sorted out
from Monaco onwards – he definitely got
that progression you expect with each new
set of tyres. Often with a rookie you find
that is not happening straight away, but by
Monaco he had that pretty well fixed. He is
not locked into any set of beliefs, and I think
he will learn well from Ricciardo as well.
Is he ready for the step up to Red Bull,
or would another year at Toro Rosso have
been better for him?
I think another year with us would have been
beneficial, because then you consolidate all
that you’ve learned, and then in year three
you are ready to go.
Year one is always a big learning process.
Equally, given his natural ability and that he
is devoid of ego, I think he will settle in well.
The pressures are different because the
expectation is a little bit higher, but I think
he has the right character to deal with that.
WorldMags.net
MARCH 5 2015 AUTOSPORT.COM 49
49
PREVIEW
What did you make of Daniil Kvyat in the
season you worked together?
You could see he was naturally very able to
do this, but would be all ears if you had an
idea or a different way of doing something.
He came in from GP3, where the way you
brake and turn into a corner needed a different
approach to Formula 1.
We would go through that with him and he
would adapt and sort it out. He was supertalented and really easy to work with, which
is a brilliant combination to have. He was
not too delicate and not too arrogant, with
a brilliant sense of humour. The confidence
is just something in him; it is not something
he has to generate.
SEASON
Kvyat qualified fifth
for his home grand prix
in Sochi last year
HONE/LAT
TORO ROSSO
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR