Daniil Kvyat would very much like the chance to go up against Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
Of the four drivers linked to the Austrian brand, the Russian was the only one not to get a chance at the senior team after returning to Formula 1 with Toro Rosso last year.
There is also some history between Kvyat and Verstappen as it was the Dutchman who replaced him at Red Bull back in 2016, a move that triggered Daniil’s downward spiral until the end of 2017.
“It would certainly be nice to be Max’s teammate,” he was quoted as telling Dutch publication Racing News 365.
“He is now in a good place with a team that does everything for him, and besides that, he is also mentally very strong, for those reasons it would be interesting to be his teammate.”
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While for some, going up against Verstappen would be a daunting prospect because of the power he now holds within Red Bull, Kvyat notes he has already proven himself against some top drivers.
“I have had some very strong teammates,” he said. “Carlos Sainz was my teammate at Formula Renault and Daniel Ricciardo of course in Formula 1 at Red Bull.
“That was an interesting year because Daniel had beaten Sebastian Vettel the year before but I could still beat him that year in the number of points.
“I certainly think F1 fans still remember that, although it’s true that people often look forward rather than back. You always want to do better than you did in the past.”
For 2020, Toro Rosso has become AlphaTauri, taking the name of Red Bull’s clothing brand, and that has led to a greater push to make the Italian outfit more than just a junior team.
“I agree with Franz Tost [AlphaTauri team principal], we are no longer a junior team because this year we have an experienced driver lineup,” Kvyat explained.
“I also think we are now able to move forward faster with regard to developing the car.”
This year, AlphaTauri is eyeing fifth in the Constructors’ standings, a tough ask up against the likes of McLaren, Renault and Racing Point.
But a strong pre-season has Tost hopeful that can be achieved.
“Summary so far is that we have a reasonably good car,” he said via Motorsport Week.
“From the mechanical side we are quite satisfied, from the aero side maybe we have to find something against understeering, but generally speaking the car is working as expected.
“Both drivers are doing as well a good job. I am optimistic that we can achieve our goal, which is to be within the first five in the Constructors’ championship.”