Franz Tost says Daniil Kvyat is ready for Red Bull return

Kvyat came third on Sunday, to record Toro Rosso's first finish on a podium since 2008, and that has shot the Russian up in the odds to return to Red Bull, with Gasly under huge pressure at the Milton Keynes-based team.

The Torpedo has history with Red Bull, where he raced with the team for just over a season, but was sent back down to Toro Rosso to pave the way for Max Verstappen and was then demoted from the entire driver programme in 2017.

Asked whether Kvyat is ready for a return to Red Bull, Tost said to Motorsport.com: "Yes - because there is such a long period now gone, and he is much more experienced now, he knows now what to do, how to handle everything - he is another step forward.

"This is the reason I always say I need drivers for three years to educate the driver, and then he is ready to go to Red Bull. Because Red Bull is another level. Red Bull is a team fighting for victories, fighting for championships.

"And for this you are tackled with another pressure, you are working on another level. And you cannot compare this with Toro Rosso. He is another driver (than) he was at Red Bull, because there he was younger. He only went after one season to Red Bull because of the change when (Sebastian) Vettel went to Ferrari."

Tost also backed his former driver Gasly: "We all know Pierre. And Pierre is also a high-skilled driver, I rate him very high, although his year so far he was not so lucky and didn't show the performance maybe he himself expected.

"But you must not forget Max Verstappen is established in this team, and he is unbelievably fast - and you know, maybe the car does not fit so well to the driving style of Pierre and he has to get used to this. But this takes time, and I hope that Red Bull will give him time, because he will be there."