Kvyat jokes: "Marko would love to call me"

At the end of 2020, Daniil Kvyat was sidelined after six seasons under the wing of Red Bull. The Russian was replaced by young Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, but has since thrived as a reserve driver at Alpine.

It was the third time Kvyat had been dealt a blow at Red Bull. First, he was transferred back from Red Bull Racing to Toro Rosso in 2016, only to lose his seat altogether at the end of 2017. In 2019 he was allowed to return, but after two seasons he was once again without a contract.

At Alpine, Kvyat is enjoying himself, he says in the F1 Nation Podcast."I enjoy the atmosphere in the team. It's a hardcore racing team. They are all hugely organised and it's a solid group of people. I think this team has huge potential for the future."

Kvyat hasn't given up hope yet and hopes to return to the grid. "I'm keeping my ears and eyes wide open. To be honest, I'm pretty flexible," the Russian told us. Whether a return to Red Bull is still in the cards remains to be seen. "I think [Helmut] Marko would love to call me," jokes Kvyat."But I think his pride is in his way this time. Last time it was already a bit like admitting the mistake, wasn't it?", he concludes.