Where is Daniil Kvyat going?

Since his dismissal from Red Bull, Daniil Kvyat has not been the same; he went from being a promising young driver to a has-been in just a few weeks, and it was clear that the Russian would never be part of the Austrian team's future.

The Red Bull driver market has always been a risky bet, and the changes of 2014-2015 proved just how volatile the formula could be. When four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel announced his departure from the Austrian team at the end of 2014, the team was caught off guard. Red Bull asked the champion to keep the news secret while the management scrambled to find a replacement, but time was running out and the pool of talent was limited.

The solution came from within: the two Toro Rosso drivers, Jean-Eric Vergne and the young Russian Daniil Kvyat, were the only ones available. Despite Vergne's better results at Faenza, the Red Bull hierarchy, led by Helmut Marko and Dietrich Mateschitz, opted for the less experienced Kvyat. At the time, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Max Verstappen, among others, were still on the fringes of Formula 1, and the team preferred a known driver, even if he was modest, to a newcomer who had yet to prove himself. Kvyat was paired with the in-form Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who had just had a solid 2014 season. The Russian's first year was mixed: he scored respectable points and sometimes shone, giving Ricciardo a run for his money, but he never really managed to establish himself in the senior team. At the end of 2015, Red Bull still saw potential in him and kept him on for 2016, but the pressure intensified.

The 2016 season went badly. Under the weight of expectations and a management eager to promote Verstappen, Kvyat made a series of uncharacteristic mistakes, including two collisions with his former teammate Vettel. These incidents marked the end of his time at Red Bull; Marko, quick to reverse the 2014 decision, demoted Kvyat and brought Verstappen into the team. Back in midfield, Kvyat is struggling to rebuild his reputation. Compared to the consistently fast Carlos Sainz, his performances are lagging behind, making a return to Red Bull unlikely. With an increasingly tight driver market and his recent results under the spotlight, it seems increasingly uncertain that he will be able to secure another seat in Formula 1.