Scuderia Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost feels Daniil Kvyat is coming to terms with being demoted to the team from Red Bull Racing, but conceded the team losing Max Verstappen who went the other way was tough.
Verstappen left Toro Rosso for Red Bull after the Russian Grand Prix with Kvyat moving in the opposite direction, and Tost admitted that losing someone as talented as the Dutchman was hard to accept after just four rounds of the season.
“Changing drivers in the middle of the season is always a problem for a team,” said Tost to Motorsport.com. “The driver is an element of motivation for all the members of the team.
“Max is a special driver and losing someone like him during the season has not been easy.”
Tost believes Kvyat is coming to terms to returning to a midfield team after his time at Red Bull, and has seen progress with his driving in recent races, with a ninth place finish last time out in the Singapore Grand Prix proof of his improving form.
“Daniil Kvyat is a very talented driver, but at the beginning it was difficult for him to move from a team like Red Bull, which is fighting for the top positions, to a team in the midfield,” said Tost. “But at the moment the situation is getting better.”