Daniil Kvyat left his ‘soul on the track’ in Singapore as he claimed his best result since the Chinese Grand Prix.
The Russian was most notably involved in several on-track battles with Max Verstappen, the man who replaced him at Red Bull back in May. While the Dutchman would ultimately prevail, Kvyat put on a feisty defence against the teenager.
Speaking after the race, Kvyat seemed much happier than at any point in recent months, perhaps an indication that he can use his performance at Marina Bay as a catalyst for the remainder of the season.
“I think I did the most I could out there today – I had good fun and enjoyed some great battles!” He said.
Ultimately the 22-year-old would have to settle for ninth place, as Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Sebastian Vettel all made progress, but Kvyat was involved in a fight with Fernando Alonso for a least half of the race.
Perhaps his motivation to battle Verstappen actually hindered him against the McLaren, nonetheless, it was a race that could have seen him finish several places higher.
Another battle, with Perez, would prove costly in his effort to battle Verstappen. The three drivers would go wheel-to-wheel through Turn’s 7-9, with the Red Bull’s better traction allowing him and the Force India to sneak through.
“Unfortunately, after a first good stint things didn’t come together as expected,” he explained. “We ended up behind Perez and didn’t have enough straight-line speed to overtake him.
“I pushed until the very last centimetre and left my soul on the track – it’s a shame, but I’m happy to finish in the points again. In all fairness, the team did a good job after what’s been a tough period.”
Indeed, the issue of power from their one-year-old Ferrari engines will likely hamper Toro Rosso at all the remaining circuits this season.
Suzuka may offer the best chance for a decent points scoring chance, as could any rain-hit races. Certainly, the team were hoping to better capitalise in Singapore.
Carlos Sainz finished down the order after contact with the fast-starting Nico Hulkenberg right at the very start.
But for Kvyat, the memories of Marina Bay offer a chance for him to refind his mojo. With several teams still contemplating driver moves for 2017, races like today will go a long way to showing other team bosses he can be a worthy asset.
He’s still young and still learning and everyone in the F1 community hope he gets the chance he deserves.
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