Daniil Kvyat’s future with Red Bull Racing was cast into doubt on Monday when the team said they would summon him for talks on his role in the multiple-collision that wrecked their ambitions in Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix.
The Russian driver rammed into the Ferrari of Red Bull’s former four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, twice on the opening lap of an eventful race won by Nico Rosberg of Mercedes-GP.
Vettel and two other drivers were forced to retire on the opening lap and both Kvyat and his Red Bull teammate Australian Daniel Ricciardo’s cars suffered severe damage.
They continued, but finished out of the points adrift of victorious Rosberg who won ahead of his Mercedes teammate and defending champion, Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg now leads Hamilton by 43 points in the title race.
It was Rosberg’s fourth straight win this season and seventh in succession, including three last year, and was a disastrous day for the chasing pack including the Ferrari and Red Bull teams.
Red Bull chief Christian Horner apologised to Vettel and Ferrari for Kvyat’s impetuous driving in Turns Two and Three and the Russian afterwards apologised to Vettel and “everyone involved” for his reckless moves.
More from the Russian Grand Prix:
Graham Caygill's race analysis: History is now against Lewis Hamilton: Problems at Mercedes-GP not Nico Rosberg's fault
Russian Grand Prix report card: Kevin Magnussen superb despite chaotic start
Reaction: 'Very happy' Nico Rosberg runs away with seventh straight Formula One win at Russian GP
After the race, Red Bull’s motorsport adviser Austrian Helmut Marko, the hard-headed consultant who oversees the team for Red Bull owner Dieter Mateschitz, made clear his displeasure.
“Let’s put it this way,” he said. “Kvyat was over-motivated. Braking too late once and hitting another car would be acceptable in front of his home crowd, but this doesn’t apply for the second crash.
“It’s a pity because he not only ruined Vettel’s race and Ricciardo’s race, but also his own race. He had to do an extra stop. It was a day of disaster for Red Bull.”
It was the second successive race in which Kvyat had crashed into Vettel, having angered the German by careering into his car at the start of the Chinese Grand Prix two weeks earlier.
Marko said that, contrary to the collision in Shanghai where he felt Kvyat’s aggression had been acceptable, he said: “This time, in contrast to Shanghai, I understand him (Vettel) completely — he is right to be so angry.”
He said the team did not want to discuss the matter in detail in Sochi because emotions were too high. Ricciardo had demanded an apology from Kvyat after the race and the Russian said he spoke to Vettel by phone.
“Let’s cool down a bit,” Marko said. “During the week, we will talk about this.”
Although Kimi Raikkonen finished third for Ferrari, it was only a consolation to the team after the loss of Vettel in an atmosphere of rising pressure as they labour to keep pace with Mercedes.
Red Bull have also made clear their ambitions to close the gap and revive their past success, and have hinted that driver changes are likely.
The huge potential of Dutch teenager Max Verstappen and his teammate Carlos Sainz at the Red Bull ‘sister’ and ‘feeder’ team Toro Rosso are under close observation with a view to one of them stepping up — as both Ricciardo and Kvyat did.
The competitive tensions between all four drivers are intense and have become so strong at Toro Rosso that the team recruited the vastly-experienced former Manor team chief John Booth to assist in their management as a consultant director of racing.
Verstappen, 18, has been linked with Ferrari while Sainz, 21, is also regarded as having a big future ahead of him.
Both are the sons of former racing drivers — Verstappen’s father Jos raced in F1 while Sainz’s father Carlos was a two-time world champion rally driver.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
