This weekend they will be teammates, but Daniil Kvyat and Brendon Hartley admit they don’t know who will be the one that stays at Toro Rosso beyond the United States Grand Prix at Austin.
The junior Red Bull team has been forced to field an all-new line-up compared to two weeks ago in Japan with Carlos Sainz now at Renault and Pierre Gasly is back at Suzuka to try and sew up the Super Formula title in the season finale.
With the Frenchman set to return next weekend in Mexico, it means either the Russian or the New Zealander will make the hop across the border and down to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and Kvyat, who lost his seat to accommodate Gasly, is keen to prove his worth.
“I just have my work here, my car,” he told ESPN on Thursday. “I have plenty of new motivations and I want to use them to my best to maximise my performance.
“I feel like there is big potential all the time which hasn’t been used this year very well and I want to correct this – there’s still a chance to correct this. Plenty of motivation for sure.
“In a way, I don’t want to think too much about the future right now or any talks right now, today or tomorrow,” he added, “I just want to drive this weekend. There’s been a few changes to the team.
“I will try to maximise this opportunity – we have to see it like that.”
As for Hartley, he revealed he initiated contact back with Red Bull, with whom he was associated until 2010, earlier this year with his current full-time drive with Porsche in the WEC set to disappear as the German manufacturer pulls out of the endurance series.
“I said ‘Look, I’m a different driver than I was 10 years ago, I’ve learned a lot, and if there is ever an opportunity I am ready’,” he claimed, recalling his conversation with Helmut Marko, motorsport advisor for the Austrian drinks giant.
“Nothing’s been confirmed for me for next year and I’m trying not to think further forward than this weekend because I’ve got a fair amount on my plate.”
What also doesn’t help this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours winner is he will starting at the back of the grid in Austin as Toro Rosso put a fresh engine in for the final four races.
