Following a qualifying session marred by intra-team controversy in Canada, Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat has hinted that he is now less inclined to cooperate with team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr.
The unfolding feud began when Sainz – who provided a tow to Kvyat during qualifying at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve – claimed that his team-mate failed to return the compliment, as such contravening the team’s instructions.
While speaking with Autosport, Kvyat has suggested that it was, in fact, Sainz who misunderstood the team’s policy in Canada.
“We are rotating, that’s how our strategy works: one race I’m behind, the next race he’s behind. In Baku he would have been getting a tow but now I’m not sure I really want to collaborate in qualifying anymore.
“From my side everything is clear as the sky, absolutely clear.
“If he has some questions to me, he’s more than free to come and talk to me, if he’s brave enough.
“If he’s not brave enough, he’ll come and talk to you guys and send hidden messages to the media all the time.”
Kvyat qualified 11th in Canada, while Sainz finished Saturday in 13th and within seven-thousandths of his Russian team-mate.
Supported by the statistics, Kvyat was keen to highlight that the tow he received failed to provide him with any lap time advantage, despite Sainz’s well-documented grievances.
“What I see in qualifying data is zero gain for me in the tow.
“You can take his best lap of qualifying and my best lap in qualifying, it’s zero [difference], it’s exactly the same top speed, it’s exactly the same straight line speed.
“He’s just seeing a ghost behind the corners.”
Tensions at Toro Rosso are evidently high heading into the weekend and team boss Franz Tost will hope that feuding drivers do not jeopardise the team’s prospects in what is a fierce midfield tussle.
On a power sensitive circuit at Baku, drivers unwilling to provide a slip-stream boost to each other’s qualifying efforts could hamper Toro Rosso’s chances, particularly in the battle with the slippery Williams.
Toro Rosso currently sits fifth in the constructors’ standings, while Williams lies a slender seven points adrift.
