Daniil Kvyat facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this article, the patronymic is Vyacheslavovich and the family name is Kvyat.

Quick facts for kids

Daniil Kvyat

Даниил Квят

Kvyat in 2024

Born

Daniil Vyacheslavovich Kvyat

26 April 1994 (age 31)

Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia

Partner(s)

Kelly Piquet (2017–2019)

Children

IMSA SportsCar Championship career

Debut season

2025

Current team

Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse

Racing licence

FIA Platinum

Car no.

Starts

Championships

Wins

Podiums

Poles

Fastest laps

Best finish

TBD in 2025 (GTP)

Formula One World Championship career

Nationality

Russian

Active years

2014–2017, 2019–2020

Teams

Toro Rosso, Red Bull, AlphaTauri

Car number

Entries

112 (110 starts)

Championships

Wins

Podiums

Career points

202

Pole positions

Fastest laps

First entry

2014 Australian Grand Prix

Last entry

2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

24 Hours of Le Mans career

Years

2023–2024

Teams

Prema, Lamborghini

Best finish

10th (2024)

Class wins

NASCAR Cup Series career

3 races run over 1 year

First race

2022 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Indianapolis)

Last race

2022 Bank of America Roval 400 (Charlotte)

Wins	Top tens	Poles
0	0	0

NASCAR Xfinity Series career

2 races run over 2 years

Car no., team

No. 07 (SS-Green Light Racing)

First race

2022 Drive for the Cure 250 (Charlotte)

Last race

2024 Focused Health 250 (COTA)

Wins	Top tens	Poles
0	0	0

Previous series

2023–2024
2013
2013
2012
2010–2012
2011
2011
2010
2010

FIA WEC
GP3 Series
FIA F3 European
Formula Renault 2.0 Alps
Formula Renault Eurocup
Formula Renault NEC
Toyota Racing Series
Formula BMW Europe
Formula BMW Pacific

Championship titles

2013
2012

GP3 Series
Formula Renault 2.0 Alps

Signature

Daniil Vyacheslavovich Kvyat (born 26 April 1994) is a Russian racing driver. He currently races in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Lamborghini. Daniil competed in Formula One, the highest class of racing, from 2014 to 2020.

Born in Ufa and growing up in Moscow, Daniil started kart racing at age 10. To become a professional racer, he moved to Italy in 2007. After winning several international karting titles, Daniil moved up to junior racing series in 2010. He did very well in Formula Renault. In 2012, he finished second in the Eurocup and won the Alps Series. In 2013, Daniil joined the GP3 Series and won the championship in his first year.

Daniil was part of the Red Bull Junior Team since 2010. In 2014, he joined Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula One. He made his debut at the Australian Grand Prix, finishing ninth. This made him the youngest driver at the time to score points in Formula One, at 19 years old. In 2015, Daniil moved to the main team, Red Bull Racing. He achieved his first top-three finish (podium) at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He even scored more points than his teammate Daniel Ricciardo that season.

Daniil stayed with Red Bull for 2016 and got another podium in China. However, after a collision with Sebastian Vettel at his home race in Russia, he was moved back to Toro Rosso. He continued with Toro Rosso in 2017 but left at the end of the season. He then became a reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari. Daniil returned to Toro Rosso (later called Scuderia AlphaTauri) in 2019. He achieved his third career podium at the rainy German Grand Prix. After the 2020 season, Daniil was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. He left Formula One as the most successful Russian driver, with three podiums and one fastest lap.

After being a reserve driver for Alpine F1 Team in 2021, Daniil planned to race in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship. However, his team withdrew due to international rules affecting Russian athletes. Daniil returned to the World Endurance Championship in 2023 with Prema Racing, racing under an Italian license. In 2024, he joined Lamborghini in the top Hypercar class. His team will move to the IMSA SportsCar Championship for 2025.

Daniil's Early Life and Hobbies

Daniil Kvyat was born in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia, on April 26, 1994. His parents are Vyacheslav and Zulfiya Kvyat. Daniil lived in Ufa until 2000, when his family moved to Moscow. This is where he first started racing go-karts. Later, he moved to Western Europe to race more seriously.

Daniil lives in Monaco. He speaks several languages, including Russian, Italian, Spanish, and English. He also knows some Finnish and Dutch.

For the 2014 Formula One season, drivers could choose their own racing numbers. Daniil picked number 26. He said he had no special reason for it, but he wanted to make it a successful number.

Daniil enjoys many hobbies outside of racing. He likes playing table tennis and football. He also enjoys wakeboarding and skiing. Daniil is a fan of heavy metal music. He plays the guitar in his free time.

Until 2015, Daniil was one of the few racing drivers with a special FIA Super Licence. But he did not have a regular driving license in his home country, Russia.

In 2017, Daniil started dating Kelly Piquet. She is the daughter of Nelson Piquet, a three-time F1 World Champion. Their daughter was born in July 2019. The couple later separated in December 2019.

Daniil's Junior Racing Journey

Karting Adventures

In January 2005, Daniil Kvyat started his professional racing career. He won his first race in Sochi, Russia. During 2005 and 2006, Daniil raced in local events. This included the Russian karting championship. He also raced in Italy sometimes. He showed strong skills and moved to Italy to focus on racing. His first team in Italy was Franco Pellegrini's crew.

In 2007, Daniil's family moved to Italy to support his racing. He went to an Italian school and kept racing. In 2008, Daniil signed with the Zanardi factory team. He moved to the KF3 junior karting category. He also joined the World Series Karting. However, his partnership with Zanardi did not work out. He switched to Morsicani Racing. In their first race together, Daniil did very well. He fought for the win, even though he had only tested the new kart a few days before.

Daniil and Morsicani Racing won several big races. These included WSK rounds and the Bridgestone Cup. Daniil beat his former Zanardi teammate, Nyck de Vries. He also won the Trofeo delle Industrie. In that race, he finished ahead of Antonio Giovinazzi.

Daniil's winning streak in Europe continued in 2009. He won the Winter Cup in the KF3 category. He also won more WSK races in Sarno and Le-Castellet. His Winter Cup win was special because he started from the very last spot. He had a problem with his kart in qualifying. But he still managed to win the race. He even passed Carlos Sainz Jr. along the way. Daniil became a top driver in the WSK series. This made sponsors notice him. He got support from the Russian Lukoil company.

Red Bull also noticed Daniil. In the summer, he had his first test in an open-wheel car. He tested with Carlos Sainz Jr., another young driver. Both drivers impressed Red Bull. They signed contracts to join the Red Bull Junior Team.

Daniil kept racing well in karting. He won third place at the 2009 European Championship. But he could not reach the finals of the World Cup in Sarno. The team chose a bad time for his qualifying session. It started to rain, and his lap time was too slow. Daniil decided to leave Morsicani Racing after the World Cup. He joined the Intrepid factory team. He won his last karting race with Intrepid. After this, Red Bull decided Daniil was ready for the next step. He moved to Formula BMW for the 2010 season.

Moving to Formula BMW

Daniil Kvyat racing in Malaysia in 2010

Before the European season started, Daniil went to Malaysia. He raced in the Formula BMW Asian Championship. He won his first race there. But his first races back in Europe were not as good. His teammate, Sainz, did better at first. By the middle of the season, Daniil improved. In Germany, he started from the front row for the first time. After that, he scored points in every race. He finished second in the final race in Monza. This was his first podium in his first European season. Two weeks later, Daniil won a race in Singapore. This was a good end to his Formula BMW journey. The Formula BMW series was closing down, so Daniil moved on.

Racing in Toyota Racing Series

Before the 2011 season in Europe, Daniil went to New Zealand. He raced in the Toyota Racing Series. He competed in four races for the Victory Motor Racing team. He finished fifth in the championship. He won one race and got five other top-three finishes.

Success in Formula Renault

Daniil Kvyat (front) racing Stoffel Vandoorne (rear) in Formula Renault in 2012

In 2010, Daniil raced twice with Koiranen Bros. Motorsport. He then joined Koiranen for the full 2011 seasons. He raced in both the Eurocup and the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. He finished second behind Sainz Jr. in the Northern European Cup. He won seven races, including three wins in a row at Monza. In the Eurocup, he won two races.

In 2012, Daniil stayed in Formula Renault. He raced in both the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps and Eurocup series. He started his Alps championship with two wins at Monza. In May, he won two races at Motorland Aragón in the Eurocup. Daniil's main rival in the Eurocup was Stoffel Vandoorne. Daniil won six races, while Vandoorne won four. But Vandoorne always finished in the top four. Daniil lost points in some races due to team mistakes or crashes. The championship was decided in the last race in Barcelona. His team made a wrong tire choice, and he lost points. In the Alps series, Daniil was fighting Norman Nato. Daniil won the Alps title because he had more points overall. Daniil stayed with the Red Bull Junior Team. He moved to the 2013 GP3 Series for 2013.

Formula Three Experience

Daniil Kvyat racing in the 2013 GP3 Series at Spa-Francorchamps.

In 2013, Daniil raced in the 2013 GP3 Series and the 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship. He joined the Formula 3 series late, so he could not score points. But he still got five pole positions and seven podiums. He also had a big win at Zandvoort. After this race, Helmut Marko, head of the Red Bull Junior Team, offered him a Formula One driver contract.

Daniil Kvyat racing at Brands Hatch in 2013

Carlos Sainz Jr. joined Daniil as a teammate again in GP3. The start of the season was tough for both drivers. They struggled to find the right car settings. But they caught up after a few races. Daniil got his first podium in GP3 in July. Then he won a race in Spa in August. He became a title contender for the final race in Abu Dhabi. He won the championship in his first year. His performance in the last two races was amazing. He got pole position, won the race, led every lap, and had the fastest lap. He earned the most points possible in both races.

Formula One Career Highlights

Starting with Toro Rosso (2014)

Daniil Kvyat at the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix

Daniil became a driver for the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team in 2014. His teammate was Jean-Éric Vergne. Daniil replaced Daniel Ricciardo, who moved to the main Red Bull team. Before his F1 debut, Daniil practiced in two races in 2013. He made his first F1 race at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. He was only 19 years old. He qualified in the top ten and finished 9th. This made him the youngest driver to score points in Formula One at that time. He also scored points in Malaysia, China, Britain, and Belgium. He finished 15th in the World Championship.

Racing for Red Bull (2015–2016)

Daniil Kvyat at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix

Daniil moved to Red Bull Racing for the 2015 season. He replaced four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. Daniil got his first podium (top three finish) at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix. He finished second, which was the best result for a Russian driver in F1. At 21 years old, he became the second-youngest driver to get a podium finish, after Vettel. In Japan, Daniil had a big crash in qualifying but was not hurt. He finished 13th in the race. Daniil ended the 2015 season with 95 points. He finished 7th in the championship, scoring more points than his teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

Daniil Kvyat (right) racing with Felipe Massa at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix

The 2016 season started tough for Daniil. But he finished third in the third race in China. This was Red Bull's first podium of the new season. However, after an incident at the start of his home race in Russia, Daniil collided with Sebastian Vettel's car. Because of this, the team decided to move Daniil back to Toro Rosso.

Back to Toro Rosso (2016–2017)

Daniil Kvyat at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix

After the Russian Grand Prix, Red Bull announced a change. Toro Rosso driver Max Verstappen would replace Daniil at Red Bull. Daniil would return to Toro Rosso with Carlos Sainz Jr.. Red Bull's team boss, Christian Horner, said Daniil could improve at Toro Rosso. Daniil took some time to get used to the team and car again. He then showed strong performances in qualifying and races. It was announced that Daniil would stay with Toro Rosso for 2017.

Daniil Kvyat driving for Toro Rosso at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix

The start of the 2017 season looked good. The car and drivers were fast. But Daniil's season had many problems. He had to stop racing in several races because of technical issues. He also made some mistakes. In September 2017, Toro Rosso decided to replace Daniil for the Malaysian Grand Prix. They brought in French driver Pierre Gasly. Toro Rosso said it was not a final goodbye. They said Daniil was still part of the Red Bull family. Daniil returned to race for Toro Rosso at the United States Grand Prix. This was because his teammate Sainz Jr. moved to Renault. Gasly was also away for another race. Daniil scored points in this race. But it was not enough to keep his seat. Toro Rosso chose to continue with Brendon Hartley and Gasly. After this, Red Bull confirmed Daniil would not return to the team. He also left the Red Bull driver program.

Working with Ferrari (2018)

Daniil did not get a racing seat for the 2018 season. So, he became a development driver for Scuderia Ferrari. He mostly worked on the team's racing simulator. Daniil also drove the Ferrari SF71H car for the first time in April 2018.

Second Return to Toro Rosso / AlphaTauri (2019–2020)

2019 Season

Daniil Kvyat at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix

Daniil rejoined Toro Rosso as a driver for the 2019 season. This was his third time racing for the team. He raced alongside Alexander Albon. Daniil performed well in the first half of the season. He scored points in six out of twelve races. However, he had to retire from two races due to crashes. His points finishes included 7th place in Monaco. He also got 9th place in Britain after starting from the back.

A big moment was his surprise 3rd-place podium finish at the rainy 2019 German Grand Prix. He made a smart decision to switch to dry tires early. He also passed Lance Stroll. This was Daniil's third career podium. It was also Toro Rosso's first podium since 2008.

During the summer break, Daniil's teammate Albon moved to Red Bull. Pierre Gasly, who was at Red Bull, moved back to Toro Rosso. Some people wondered why Daniil was not promoted instead. Red Bull said they wanted to test Albon for the rest of the season. Daniil drove very well in Belgium, finishing 7th after starting 19th. He had another retirement in Italy due to an oil leak. Daniil scored points in three more races. He finished 13th in the championship with 37 points.

2020 Season

Daniil Kvyat at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix

Scuderia AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso) kept Daniil and Gasly for the 2020 season. Daniil retired from the first race due to a suspension problem. He got his first point of the season at the Styrian Grand Prix. He finished tenth. He retired from the British Grand Prix after a big crash. This was caused by a tire failure. Daniil finished fourth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. He made several overtakes after a safety car restart.

Daniil finished the season 14th in the standings with 32 points. His teammate Pierre Gasly scored 75 points. Daniil's contract was not renewed. Yuki Tsunoda replaced him at AlphaTauri for 2021.

Alpine Reserve Driver (2021)

In 2021, Daniil was a reserve driver for the Alpine F1 Team. He worked alongside Zhou Guanyu.

Sportscar Racing Career

FIA World Endurance Championship

2022 Season

Daniil was set to race for G-Drive Racing in 2022. He would compete in the LMP2 class. But G-Drive withdrew from the series. This was because of international rules related to the conflict in Ukraine. Daniil said the rules against Russian athletes were "unfair."

2023 Season

Daniil joined Prema Racing in 2023. He raced in the LMP2 class. He drove the No. 63 Oreca 07 car. His teammates were Mirko Bortolotti and Doriane Pin. He raced under an Italian license. At the first race, the 1000 Miles of Sebring, Daniil finished third. This was his first podium in the World Endurance Championship.

2024 Season

Daniil joined Lamborghini in 2024. He raced in the top Hypercar class. He drove the Lamborghini SC63 car. His teammates were Mirko Bortolotti and Edoardo Mortara.

Other Racing Adventures

NASCAR Racing

Daniil Kvyat's No. 26 car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2022

In December 2017, Daniil tested a NASCAR Whelen Euro Series racecar. In 2021 and 2022, Daniil visited several NASCAR Cup Series events. He was seen in different team garages.

Daniil made three starts in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series. He raced for Team Hezeberg. His car used his Formula One number, 26. He made his NASCAR debut at the 2022 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard. This race was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He finished 36th after having suspension problems.

Formula E Racing

In April 2023, Daniil took part in a Formula E rookie test. He tested with the NIO 333 Racing team in Berlin. Daniil returned with NIO for another rookie practice session in Rome.