Q&A with Daniil Kvyat

It’s that time of the year where we look back and reflect on what has happened in Formula One in 2015. We caught up with Dany for an end of season one to one.

Dany, firstly how would you sum up your first year with The Team?

DK: I think it was a season with a lot of ups and downs, which had plenty of positive moments. Even though it was not an easy season for the whole team we still managed to score quite big points. Hopefully, this will continue and we can improve our situation for next year. Overall it was quite pleasant. I am happy with how things went and the relationship I am building with The Team race by race.

Plenty of experiences and plenty of learning curves this year. Are those the perfect building blocks to put you on to next year’s campaign?

DK: Exactly. I think next year will offer big chances and new opportunities. We hope to have more wins and podiums in the future. I am very motivated and obviously very hungry for success and that’s what every member of The Team is.

You have mentioned The Team. It naturally takes some time to settle in, to get to know everyone. How long did it take you to settle in at the start of the year, and when was that one moment you thought everything just clicked now?

DK: I think the beginning was quite tough. We had some rough times. Obviously, GP, Blake and I were all new to The Team and Rocky is not a really nice guy, so it was quite hard to get working with him! (Jokingly laughs) and yeah, then I think from Barcelona onwards the season got strong, where everything clicked. That was quite nice and a good experience. All the guys are really nice, strong characters and very experienced. Rocky in the end I found out is actually a very nice guy, so it’s all good! (Laughs again)

A pretty major high point for you was of course the first podium in Hungary. Does that stand out as one of the best moments of the season?

DK: Yes, it was definitely one of the brightest memories. It was quite a difficult race to be honest. A bit of a roller-coaster of a one. I think all in all there were some strong races of which I’m more proud of for how I’ve driven. Mexico, Spa and Monaco for example. Nothing can be a stronger reflection of your achievements than the podium though.

That result in Hungary was also the best for any Russian ever in F1! Also, you obviously went to Sochi and saw the support of the fans. Have you really felt that little extra interest and the full support behind you?

DK: Yeah obviously, to see the strong support in Russia was very pleasant for me. All the Russian flags and signs with my name on them were really great to see. I was very grateful to have all that support.

Top 3 moments of the year?

DK: Monaco, Hungary, and Mexico/Spain. Mexico was best in terms of fuel performance! I was really feeling confident since the first lap on Friday until the last lap of the race.

If you could do it all again: What would be the one thing you would change about your year?

DK: Nothing. I think it was all meant to be. Obviously, there are many things you could do differently when looking back. Seeing that one driver in time and avoid crashing into him, for example. But that only happens in fairy tales, and real life is always a bit different. You have to learn from your mistakes and move forward.