An impressive run to ninth in the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix could have been even better according to Daniil Kvyat, who blames a botched pit-stop for costing him a greater position.
Kvyat qualified ninth and showed impressive pace and overtaking ability throughout the race, sweeping around the outside of Kimi Räikkonen at turn four and running as high as seventh.
A late pit-stop behind the safety car however, saw Kvyat’s car stationary in the pit-lane while his Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda team scrambled to get fresh tyres. The botched stop saw Kvyat drop to the fringes of the points where a late pass on Romain Grosjean saw Kvyat regain ninth place to the finish; but the Russian believes seventh place was on the cards.
“There were a few exciting moments today, but unfortunately, we lost our race in the pit lane as the tyres weren’t ready for me,” said Kvyat. “It was a very last-minute call to pit, these things happen with such tricky situations, and I’m sure we will learn from this as a team.
“I think we could have finished in P7 as that’s where we were running before the pit lane mishap. We still got a couple of points today which is always welcome.
“The car’s performance is improving and I’m feeling always more comfortable with the car. I’m sure we have some good days ahead.”
Kvyat’s surprise return to Formula 1 has seen him score three points for Toro Rosso so far, the same tally as his rookie team-mate Alexander Albon.
