Will Kvyat go to NASCAR? 'He's not driving in F1 now anyway'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
One of the drivers we have not seen back in Formula 1 in 2021 is Daniil Kvyat. The Russian is currently a reserve driver for Alpine, but may make the move to NASCAR.
Since Kvyat was demoted to Toro Rosso in 2016, his Formula One career seems to have entered a downward spiral. There were still a few bright spots, such as a podium finish at the 2019 German Grand Prix, but there seems to be no way back to the premier class of motorsport for the Russian - despite being a test and reserve driver for Alpine. With Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso, that team seems to be buttoned up for the foreseeable future.
So it should come as no surprise that Kvyat is looking at other opportunities and according to Guenther Steiner, the Haas team principal, he is. In particular a spot in a racing series in the United States.
"Daniil Kvyat will be coming to the race at Martinsville. Everyone who goes to NASCAR asks me 'Hey Guenther, can you set up me up?' Daniil will come by to see if there are any interesting options for him, because at the moment he is not racing in Formula 1," the Italian told the Stewart-Haas Racing Podcast.
More F1 drivers to the US
Moreover, according to the outspoken team boss, Kvyat is not the only former F1 driver looking to take a chance in another racing series, just as Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen have already done.
"Many drivers want to try it. Some are also making the switch to IndyCar. It's a big step for them because those racing series are very different. It's like going from NASCAR to Formula One. It's not just the driving itself, but the whole system," Steiner explained.