F1
With the arrival of the fresh rebrand of Scuderia Toro Rosso, Daniil Kvyat talks about what it means to race for Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2020.
On February 14, 2020, Red Bull will be introducing a new name, with a fresh new look, to F1. The launch of Scuderia AlphaTauri (rebranded from Scuderia Toro Rosso) will be accompanied by a stunning reveal of the F1 team car, as well as a fashion show that can be viewed live on Red Bull TV. The event is a celebration of the new partnership with premium fashion brand AlphaTauri.
The show will see team drivers Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly model their new driver kit to show how, for the first time, Scuderia AlphaTauri will blend fashion and F1. But what does Russian ace Kvyat make of this new role, and being one of the faces of this exciting new chapter? He tells us more.
How exciting is it to be racing for Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2020?
I’m very excited – it’s another great opportunity. It's going to be my sixth year in Formula One, a fantastic feeling. There are many things changing in the team, even though its core is – technically speaking – very similar. We are just developing the car. The name of the team has obviously changed with AlphaTauri stepping in and we are excited to have a fashion brand as our partner. Technically talking, our job is going to be bringing an evolution from last year to the start of 2020, because last year everything was working pretty well.
The car will be unveiled to the world on February 14, what can fans expect?
They can expect different colours, that's for sure. They can expect a colourful, interesting presentation as well. I heard the event is going to be pretty spectacular and cool. Like I said, in technical terms, there will be no big surprises.
Formula One has always been linked to style. Now the team is sponsored by a fashion brand, what is the first item of AlphaTauri clothing on your wishlist?
We’ve already been getting a little bit – I got some sweaters delivered to my home, which was really cool, and very soft and nice to travel with! I am actually wearing them every time I jump on the plane. Some jackets as well, which are also comfortable. Just the winter collection at the moment, and I’ve not seen the summer collection yet. But it’s always cool to have a good clothing brand next to you because you’re never out of clothes.
You had 10 top-10 finishes last season, including the podium in Germany, so what are your personal aims for this season?
I wouldn’t say there is anything, in particular. There’s just for myself to bring an evolution [to my driving] because I think you can always improve yourself and I will just keep on working on that. As a driver, I try to bring as many good finishes to the team in order to help us secure a good position in the championship. In our tight midfield battle, it is impossible to predict because right now I would really struggle to tell you exactly where we would be but I am sure we will be fighting in a tight group.
Do you think a top-five finish is achievable with the Honda engine performing strongly?
Of course you never want to do worse than the previous season – when we were sixth – so, we are always hungry for more. We need to control our hunger and just need to go into this season with a fresh mindset without having the weight of achieving a particular target at the end of the season. Just try to perform as well as we can in the races and I think that will bring us a strong season like we achieved last year.
There are 22 races on the calendar, including seven back-to-back race weekends and two new circuits in the Netherlands and Vietnam, so do you think there will be lots of drama?
You never know. Of course, there were many dramatic races last year. I think now that the field is so competitive and so tight at the front and the middle, there are going to be some races with a lot happening. So I hope that trend is going to stay, as there are more opportunities for us to grab some bigger points. However, the calendar is extremely tight and requires a lot of travelling so we’ll see how we’ll handle 22 races – the longest season in Formula One history.
The calendar is extremely tight and requires a lot of travelling so we’ll see how we’ll handle 22 races – the longest season in Formula One history
Will you have to train differently because of the expanded calendar?
It’s one race more, so we wouldn’t change it too much. There’s not much time for training anyway, so we’re just looking to maintain the shape we have for as long as we can and recharge the batteries at the right time of the year. That will be the main target.
What are you expecting from the new tracks in the Netherlands and Vietnam?
We had a little provisional look of the configuration in the simulator and it cannot be too representative, but we can see where the corners go and it looks interesting. I would expect something similar in Vietnam to Baku. Like every street circuit, there’s a very long straight and I think there could be a lot happening there.
At 25, do you think you’re really coming into your prime now?
I’m working hard on coming into my prime. Obviously every year I always find something new that I can work on and improve. It’s a constant evolution of myself. I feel like last year was a good year for me in terms of that – personal discoveries and understanding what works for me and what doesn't. I am always quite happy in what I manage to squeeze out of my cars, but I think your prime is very hard to identify. You always need to be ready to deliver your best and still think that you can always improve.
You have spoken about being an example for Pierre and proof that drivers can bounce back from disappointments, so do you expect a close battle with him this season?
Obviously that’s how it usually goes between teammates. Last year I had two very competitive and very fast guys, so I expect to be close to Pierre again.
Check out the launch of Scuderia AlphaTauri live on Red Bull TV at 20:00 CET on February 14.
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