Scuderia Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat also had a nightmare weekend at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – going into the race having only completed only a handful of laps in the practice sessions, before failing to finish the race after suffering with a gearbox issue.
The Russian driver had been feeling optimistic about the race before the failure, even being able to battle with other midfield teams.
“It’s a shame we had to retire, as the race wasn’t looking that bad after only having completed five laps in the practice sessions…” he commented. “We were fighting with Haas and Renault and I had a lot of fun, recovering many places at the start and overtaking a few more later on.”
One of the more memorable moments of the weekend was the young driver having to cycle back to the pits after parking his car at the side of the track. “It’s unfortunate that we had a gearbox issue which meant I had to stop the car, retire from the race… So I decided to go for a stroll on a push bike! … It’s like my whole season has been summed up in one race weekend!”
Like many drivers, Kvyat is now looking forwards to having a break after the mammoth 21 race season, the longest in the history of Formula One.
“I’m now really looking forward to 2017, but first it’s time to rest a bit, spend some time with friends and family before training very hard over the winter in order to come back stronger than ever next season,” said Kvyat. “I’m feeling confident, which is a good way to end the season and this is what I will take into the new year.
“Finally, I’d like to thank the team for supporting me during this year full of ups and downs – I’ve felt they’ve always been there for me and that we’ve kept growing together until reaching a point where I feel very comfortable, like at home. This is something very valuable for me and it will definitely help me next year, when we will push again all together.”
