F1 News: Former Red Bull Driver Reveals "Difficult" Helmut Marko Pressure Ahead Of Demotion

Former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat has opened up on the pressures in Red Bull before being moved down to Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri).

In a candid interview, former Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat opened up about the immense pressure he faced from Helmut Marko during his time with the team, particularly in 2016. 

Key Takeaways:

• Pressure from Helmut Marko: Kvyat discussed the high expectations set by Helmut Marko, recalling Marko's words: "We need you to beat Daniel [Ricciardo] consistently every race, more or less."
• Russian Grand Prix Incident: The Russian Grand Prix was a turning point for Kvyat. Despite a strong performance in China, a collision with Sebastian Vettel in Russia led to his replacement. Kvyat noted, "Then there was Sochi and obviously they [Red Bull] needed this [for the driver change]."
• Struggle at Toro Rosso: After moving back to Toro Rosso, Kvyat faced motivational challenges and a lack of confidence, contrasting with his teammate Carlos Sainz's hunger and confidence. He admitted, "There’s nothing [you can] do against a hungry Carlos with that mental approach."

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The 2016 Formula 1 season was a pivotal year for Daniil Kvyat, who faced a significant career shift. After just four races with Red Bull Racing, the decision was made to swap him with Max Verstappen, a move that came as a shock to Kvyat. This change was influenced by the high expectations set by Red Bull's advisor, Helmut Marko.

Kvyat, 29, felt the pressure early in the season, even before he hit the track. Marko's words to him were direct and challenging. Kvyat revealed to Formula1.com:

"Helmut [Marko] was like, ‘We need you to beat Daniel [Ricciardo] consistently every race, more or less'.

"I was like, ‘OK, let’s see, he’s not an idiot, but I’ll do my best like he will'."

However, the incident at the Russian Grand Prix, Kvyat's home race, proved critical. His collision with Sebastian Vettel was seen as the breaking point for Red Bull. Despite showing improvement and securing a podium in China, the Sochi incident was pivotal. 

"The first few races were tricky, but there were clear improvements, like in China. Then there was Sochi and obviously they [Red Bull] needed this [the driver change]."

The aftermath of the swap was challenging for Kvyat. Returning to Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), he struggled with low motivation and confidence, starkly different from his teammate Carlos Sainz's approach. Kvyat concluded:

"It started to be difficult times because my motivation was quite low to go back to Toro Rosso, another car that was a different philosophy.

"Carlos [Sainz] was very hungry and confident with that car, and me, on the other hand, not hungry, not confident. There’s nothing [you can] do against a hungry Carlos with that mental approach."