Daniil Kvyat and Toro Rosso Are Getting The Hang Of STR 14

Published 05/18/2019, 6:09 AM EDT

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F1 likes a good nickname. We’ve seen the likes of the ‘Red Baron’ Michael Schumacher, a driver that may never be forgotten for his great achievements. We’ve seen Fernando Alonso’s ‘El Nino’ storm conquer F1 in a way that few modern-day drivers would’ve had. Then, we’ve also seen the likes of The Iceman who’ve ‘drank’ the passion out of tireless critics by virtue of setting the fastest lap in the history of the sport itself.

But who would have thought that the man behind the nickname “Torpedo” – certainly not kept in a positive light- would be associated with a guy who’d have overtaken Kimi Raikkonen recently?

To that end, the issue- if at all one considers it is one- whether Daniil Kvyat has been hung out to dry or been saluted is something that may take its own course to settle down. But what must be addressed is the fact that the noted Russian driver, currently in his returning stint with Toro Rosso seems to have gotten the hang of the qualifying battle on most Saturday’s.

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Wondering how? An improved performance from Daniil Kvyat has been seen ever since the completion of the first three rounds of the 2019 Formula 1 season.

via Imago

After managing only a lowly fifteenth at Melbourne Park, followed by an exact same start on the grid at Bahrain, Daniil Kvyat would repay the faith of his team- if it must be said- by grabbing a much-improved eleventh at China, round three of the ongoing season.

This, it must be reminded, was the 1000th Grand Prix of F1’s history.

But Kvyat, who didn’t really enjoy a great race (well, not one bit, truth be told) would retire on lap 41, falling prey to his own maneuvers that perhaps weren’t required.

This is precisely when we saw the Russian occupy headlines in a fashion that reminded one of the not so memorable events at the 2016 Grand Prix at Sochi, unfortunately, the home race of Daniil Kvyat where the local hero crashed into Vettel, albeit escaping just enough to grab a fifteenth, while the Ferrari driver retired.

So much for a miscalculated move, one may have wondered regarding Daniil’s vague driving, that may not have inspired any vodka-drinker seeing the race actually relish it.

But just when you would’ve thought that it was all going to go downhill for a man who’s returned to the sport after a year of manning the simulator seat at Ferrari, Daniil Kvyat would pull up an ace at Spain.

He would demonstrate his personal best effort as seen at the recent Grand Prix of Azerbaijan, where a man clearly chastised for being “Torpedo” as if this were a tribute to celebrate Russian missiles in the post-Cold-war era bagged a sixth-place start on the grid.

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Did you expect that?

And this would be immediately followed by a ninth-place start in Spain. Not only did Kvyat, one mustn’t forget managed to begin ahead of the likes of more accomplished drivers- if that doesn’t inch the purists- like Ricciardo and Raikkonen, but he also managed to beat the Iceman, in the midst of the contest.

Not that saying “Bwoah” would give anything interesting to Kimster‘s fans, but the sight of a relatively under-appreciated Toro Rosso beating the Alfa Romeo fair and square on a track (where the most experienced driver on the grid has won twice, 2008 being his last win) should serve a notice to those who aren’t a part of Kvyat’s fan-groups on Facebook but act as lame fanboys of the sport.

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Do they not?

So as Monaco awaits the impending 2019 run, one may want to ask a question- is there a sense in pushing Daniil Kvyat out of the context or is there a sense in giving this Russian Torpedo his due where it’s worth it?

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Written by:

Dev Tyagi

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