The common belief in the Formula One paddock is that Daniil Kvyat’s Red Bull contract will not be renewed at the end of 2016 and he will be replaced by Pierre Gasly at Toro Rosso in 2017.
The Russian has endured a miserable 2016 season, despite scoring a podium in China he was demoted to Toro Rosso for the Spanish Grand Prix.
His Red Bull replacement Max Verstappen won on his debut for the team and rose to sixth in the Drivers’ Championship.
Meanwhile, Kvyat has been convincingly beaten by Sainz at Toro Rosso, and his stock has plummeted, it’s now extremely likely that Kvyat will be forced to look for new employers for 2017.
All of the top teams are likely to remain unchanged for 2017 apart from Williams as Felipe Massa is rumoured to be exiting the team.
The Brazilian brings some financial backing and the Grove team would need a replacement who also brings a big budget and that’s exactly what Kvyat brings to the table.
Other possible destinations include Renault, who aren’t satisfied with Palmer’s disappointing debut season, however, the team’s shortlist is huge and it’s unlikely the Russian is at the top of the list.
Sauber and Manor are always looking for drivers with a large budget but once again it seems Kvyat isn’t at the top of their shopping list.
History has shown it’s incredibly difficult for drivers who are axed by Red Bull to find a seat.
In fact, Vitantonio Liuzzi is the only driver to find a seat elsewhere after being sacked by Toro Rosso.
However, Daniil Kvyat is a very talented driver who out-scored Ricciardo in 2015 and was until Max Verstappen came along, the youngest driver to compete in Formula One.
He would be a valuable asset to any team on the grid, but with so few available seats for 2017, the Russian may have to spend next year watching from the sidelines.
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