Daniil Kvyat facts for kids
{{Infobox person | name = Daniil Kvyat | native_name = Даниил Квят | native_name_lang = ru | image = Daniil_Kvyat_2024_Suzuka_A2RL.jpg | caption = Kvyat in 2024 | birth_name = Daniil Vyacheslavovich Kvyat | birth_date = 26 April 1994 | birth_place = Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia | partners = Kelly Piquet (2017–2019) | children = 1 | website = | signature = Daniil Kvyat signature.svg
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Daniil Kvyat (born 26 April 1994) is a Russian racing driver. He currently races in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Lamborghini. Kvyat competed in Formula One, the highest class of racing, from 2014 to 2020.
Born in Ufa and growing up in Moscow, Kvyat started kart racing at age 10. He moved to Italy in 2007 to focus on his racing career. After winning several international karting titles, Kvyat moved up to junior racing series in 2010.
He was very successful in Formula Renault races. In 2012, he finished second in the Eurocup and won the Alps Series. Kvyat then joined the GP3 Series in 2013 and won the championship in his first year.
As a member of the Red Bull Junior Team since 2010, Kvyat joined Toro Rosso in 2014. He made his Formula One debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. He finished ninth, becoming one of the youngest drivers to score points in Formula One at 19 years old.
Kvyat moved to the main team, Red Bull, in 2015. He achieved his first podium finish (top three) at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix. He even scored more points than his teammate Daniel Ricciardo that season.
In 2016, Kvyat got another podium in China. However, after an incident at his home race in Russia, he was moved back to Toro Rosso. He continued with Toro Rosso in 2017 but left the team at the end of the season.
He then became a reserve driver for Ferrari. Kvyat returned to Toro Rosso (later called AlphaTauri) in 2019. He earned his third career podium at the rainy 2019 German Grand Prix. Kvyat left Formula One after the 2020 season. He is known as the most successful Russian driver in Formula One history, with three podiums and one fastest lap.
After being a reserve driver for Alpine in 2021, Kvyat planned to race in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship. However, his team withdrew due to international rules. Despite these challenges, Kvyat returned to the World Endurance Championship in 2023 with Prema. He raced under an Italian license. In 2024, he joined Lamborghini in the top Hypercar class. His team moved to the IMSA SportsCar Championship for 2025.
Contents
- Starting in Karting Races
- Racing in Formula BMW
- Racing in Toyota Racing Series
- Success in Formula Renault Races
- Formula Three and GP3 Series
| IMSA SportsCar Championship career | |
|---|---|
| Debut season | 2025 |
| Current team | Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse |
| Racing licence |  FIA Platinum |
| Car no. | 63 |
| Starts | 3 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| 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 | 26 |
| Entries | 112 (110 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Career points | 202 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Previous series | |
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| Championship titles | |
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| Awards | |
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- Starting with Toro Rosso (2014)
- Racing for Red Bull (2015–2016)
- Back to Toro Rosso (2016–2017)
- Ferrari Development Driver (2018)
- Second Return to Toro Rosso / AlphaTauri (2019–2020)
- Alpine Reserve Driver (2021)
Daniil Kvyat's Early Life and Interests
Daniil Kvyat was born in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia, on 26 April 1994. His parents are Vyacheslav and Zulfiya Kvyat. Daniil lived in Ufa until 2000, when his family moved to Moscow.
It was in Moscow that he first started racing go-karts. Later, he moved to Western Europe to race more seriously. Kvyat lives in Monaco. He speaks Russian, Italian, Spanish, and English fluently. He also knows some Finnish and Dutch.
For the 2014 Formula One season, drivers could choose their own racing numbers. Kvyat picked number 26 because he had no special connection to it. He wanted to make it a successful number.
Kvyat enjoys table tennis, football, wakeboarding, and skiing. He also likes heavy metal music. His favorite songs include Metallica's "Whiskey in the Jar" cover and Motörhead's "Ace of Spades". He also plays the guitar.
Daniil Kvyat's Junior Racing Journey
Starting in Karting Races
In January 2005, Kvyat began his professional motorsports career by winning his first race in Sochi. During 2005 and 2006, he took part in local events, including the Russian karting championship. He also raced occasionally in Italy.
Because he showed strong skills, he moved to Italy in 2007 to focus on racing. His first professional team in Italy was Franco Pellegrini's crew. In 2007, Kvyat's family moved to Italy to support his racing. He went to an Italian school and continued to race.
Before the 2008 season, Kvyat signed with the Zanardi factory team. He moved to the KF3 junior category and joined the World Series Karting. However, this partnership did not work out well. Kvyat then switched to Morsicani Racing, using an FA Kart chassis. In their first race together, Kvyat did very well, fighting for the win.
Kvyat and Morsicani Racing won several important competitions. These included WSK rounds and the Bridgestone Cup. Kvyat beat his former Zanardi teammate, Nyck de Vries. Kvyat also won the Trofeo delle Industrie race.
Kvyat's winning streak in Europe continued into 2009. He won the Winter Cup in the KF3 category. He also won WSK rounds in Sarno and Le-Castellet. His Winter Cup win was special because he started from the very last position. He had a clutch problem in qualifying but still managed to win.
Kvyat became a top driver in the WSK series. He started to get attention from sponsors. In the spring, he received support from the Russian Lukoil company. Red Bull also noticed him. In the summer, Kvyat had his first test in an open-wheel car, arranged by Red Bull. Both Kvyat and Carlos Sainz Jr. impressed Red Bull and signed contracts with them.
Kvyat continued to race well in karting. He won third place at the 2009 European Championship. However, he did not reach the finals of the World Cup in Sarno. This was because of bad weather during his qualifying session. Kvyat decided to leave Morsicani's team after the World Cup. He joined the Intrepid factory team. He won his last karting race with Intrepid. Red Bull Junior Team decided it was time for Kvyat to move up to Formula BMW for the 2010 season.
Racing in Formula BMW
Before the European season, Kvyat went to Malaysia. He raced in the Formula BMW Asian Championship with the Eurointernational team. He won his first race there. However, his first races back in Europe were not as successful.
By mid-season, Kvyat's results 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, getting his first podium in his first European season. Two weeks later, Kvyat won a race in the Asian Championships in Singapore. This was a good end to his time in Formula BMW.
Racing in Toyota Racing Series
Before the 2011 season in Europe, Kvyat 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 the Dan Higgins Trophy at Manfeild and earned five other podium finishes.
Success in Formula Renault Races
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In 2010, Kvyat raced twice with Koiranen Bros. Motorsport in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. He also finished fourth in the Formula Renault UK Winter Series. For 2011, Kvyat and his Red Bull Junior teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. joined Koiranen for full seasons in both the Eurocup and the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup.
He finished second behind Sainz Jr. in the Northern European Cup, winning seven races. In the Eurocup, he was outpaced by Robin Frijns and Sainz, but he still won two races.
In 2012, Kvyat continued in Formula Renault. He competed in both Formula Renault 2.0 Alps and the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series. His first race in the Alps championship was a strong double win at Monza. In May, he won two races in the Eurocup season opener.
In the Eurocup, Kvyat's main rival was Stoffel Vandoorne. Kvyat won six races, while Vandoorne won four. Kvyat lost points in some races due to team mistakes or crashes. The championship title was decided in the final race in Barcelona. Kvyat's team made a wrong tire choice, and he lost positions.
In the Alps series, Kvyat was competing against Norman Nato. The final race was in Barcelona. Both title contenders crashed out. Kvyat had more points overall and won the championship. He remained with the Red Bull Junior Team and moved to the GP3 Series for 2013.
Formula Three and GP3 Series
In 2013, Kvyat raced in the GP3 Series with MW Arden. He also competed in the European Formula 3 championship with Carlin Motorsport. Kvyat joined Formula 3 late, so he could not score points. He achieved five pole positions, seven podiums, and a big win at Zandvoort. After this race, he was offered a contract as a Formula 1 driver by Helmut Marko, head of the Red Bull Junior Team.
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Carlos Sainz Jr. was Kvyat's teammate again in GP3. The start of the season was tough for both drivers. They struggled to find the right car settings. They caught up with the leaders after a few races. Kvyat got his first podium in GP3 in July. He then won a race in Spa in August, reducing the points gap to the leaders.
He was a title contender going into the Abu Dhabi event. He finally won the championship in his first year. His performance in the last two main races at Monza and Abu Dhabi was amazing. Kvyat got pole position, won the race, led every lap, and set the fastest lap. He earned the maximum points possible in both races.
Daniil Kvyat's Formula One Career
Starting with Toro Rosso (2014)
Kvyat became the second driver for the Scuderia Toro Rosso (STR) Formula One team for the 2014 season. His teammate was Jean-Éric Vergne. Kvyat replaced Daniel Ricciardo, who moved to the main team, Red Bull Racing. As a test driver for STR, Kvyat took part in practice sessions for the last two races of the 2013 season.
Kvyat made his F1 debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix when he was just 19. He qualified in the top ten and finished 9th in the race. This made him the youngest driver at that time to score points in Formula One. He continued to score points in several other races that year. He finished 15th in the World Championship. In September, the organizers of the first 2014 Russian Grand Prix announced they would name a stand at the Sochi Autodrom after him.
Racing for Red Bull (2015–2016)
Kvyat was promoted to Red Bull for the 2015 season. He replaced four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who moved to Ferrari. Kvyat achieved his first podium in Formula One by finishing second at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix. This was the highest finish for a Russian driver in Formula One history. At 21 years old, Kvyat became the second-youngest driver to get a podium finish, after Vettel.
During qualifying for the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix, Kvyat had a big crash. He was not hurt and finished 13th in the race the next day. Kvyat ended the 2015 season with 95 points. He finished 7th in the Drivers' World Championship, scoring 3 points more than his teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
The start of the 2016 season was difficult. However, Kvyat finished third in the third race, the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix. This was the first podium for Red Bull Racing that season. But after an incident at the start of his home Grand Prix in Russia, where Kvyat collided with Sebastian Vettel's car, the team decided to move Kvyat back to Toro Rosso.
Back to Toro Rosso (2016–2017)
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After the 2016 Russian Grand Prix, Red Bull announced that Max Verstappen would replace Kvyat at Red Bull. Kvyat returned to Toro Rosso alongside Carlos Sainz Jr.. Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner, said Kvyat could continue to improve at Toro Rosso. Kvyat took some time to get used to the team and the new car. He then showed strong performances in qualifying and races. It was announced before the 2016 United States Grand Prix that Kvyat would stay with Toro Rosso for 2017.
The start of the 2017 season looked promising. The car and drivers showed good speed, often making it into the top ten. However, Kvyat's season was affected by many problems. These included several retirements due to technical issues and some driver mistakes. On 26 September 2017, Toro Rosso announced that Pierre Gasly would replace Kvyat for the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix. This decision came after Kvyat had a period of less impressive results. Toro Rosso stated that this was not a permanent goodbye, and Kvyat remained part of the Red Bull Family.
Kvyat returned to race for Toro Rosso at the 2017 United States Grand Prix. This happened because his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. moved to Renault, and Gasly was racing elsewhere. Kvyat scored points in this race. However, it was not enough to keep his seat. Toro Rosso chose to continue with Brendon Hartley and Gasly for the rest of the season. After the United States Grand Prix, Helmut Marko confirmed that Kvyat would not return to the team and would leave the Red Bull driver program.
Ferrari Development Driver (2018)
Kvyat did not get a race seat for the 2018 season. Instead, he became a development driver for Ferrari. He mainly worked on the team's simulator in Maranello. Kvyat drove the Ferrari SF71H car for the first time in April 2018 during a tire test.
Second Return to Toro Rosso / AlphaTauri (2019–2020)
2019 Season
Kvyat rejoined Toro Rosso as a driver for the 2019 season. He replaced Pierre Gasly, who moved to Red Bull. This was Kvyat's third time racing for the team where he started his Formula One career. He initially raced alongside Alexander Albon. Kvyat performed well in the first half of the season, scoring 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 and 9th place in Britain. He also achieved a surprising 3rd-place podium finish at the rainy 2019 German Grand Prix. This was Toro Rosso's first podium since 2008.
During the summer break, Kvyat's teammate Albon was promoted to Red Bull. Gasly was moved back to Toro Rosso. Some people wondered why Kvyat was not promoted instead, as he had performed better than Albon. Red Bull explained they wanted to test Albon for the rest of the season. Kvyat drove excellently in Belgium, finishing 7th after starting 19th. He retired from the next race in Italy due to an oil leak. Kvyat scored points in three more races that season. He finished 13th in the championship with 37 points.
2020 Season
AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso) kept Kvyat and Gasly for the 2020 season. Kvyat retired from the first race due to a suspension problem. He earned his first point of the season at the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix by finishing tenth. He retired from the 2020 British Grand Prix after a big crash caused by a tire failure. Kvyat finished fourth in the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. He made several impressive overtakes after a safety car period.
Kvyat finished the 2020 season 14th in the standings with 32 points. His contract was not renewed, and Yuki Tsunoda replaced him at AlphaTauri for 2021.
Alpine Reserve Driver (2021)
In 2021, Kvyat served as a reserve driver for Alpine. He worked alongside Zhou Guanyu.
Daniil Kvyat's Sportscar Racing Career
FIA World Endurance Championship
2023 Season
Kvyat joined Prema Racing in the LMP2 class for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. He drove the No. 63 Oreca 07 car with Mirko Bortolotti and Doriane Pin. He raced under an Italian license. At the first race of the season, the 1000 Miles of Sebring, Kvyat finished third. This was his first podium in the World Endurance Championship.
2024 Season
Kvyat joined Lamborghini for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. He competed in the top Hypercar class. He drove the SC63 car with Mirko Bortolotti and Edoardo Mortara.
Other Racing Adventures
NASCAR Racing
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In December 2017, Kvyat tested a NASCAR Whelen Euro Series racecar. In 2021 and 2022, Kvyat attended several NASCAR Cup Series events. He was seen in different team garages.
Kvyat made three starts in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series for Team Hezeberg. His car used the number 26, the same number he used in Formula One. He made his NASCAR debut at the 2022 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard in Indianapolis. He finished 36th after having suspension problems.
Formula E Racing
In April 2023, Kvyat took part in a rookie drivers' test for Formula E in Berlin. He tested with the NIO 333 Racing team. Kvyat returned with NIO for a rookie practice session at the Rome ePrix.
In 2025, Kvyat was chosen by DS Penske Formula E Team to participate in a rookie practice session in Jeddah. He finished the session in 5th place. He also returned with the team for the Berlin rookie test.
Images for kids
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Kvyat during Race 1 of the 2010 Formula BMW Pacific season at Sepang International Circuit
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Kvyat (front) racing Stoffel Vandoorne (rear) in Formula Renault in 2012
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Kvyat competing for MW Arden during the 2013 GP3 Series, at Spa-Francorchamps.
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Kvyat racing at Brands Hatch during the 2013 European Formula 3 Championship
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Kvyat at the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix
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Kvyat at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix
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Kvyat (right) fighting with Felipe Massa at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix
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Kvyat at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix
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Kvyat driving for Toro Rosso at the 2017 Australian Grand Prix
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Kvyat at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix
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Kvyat at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix
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Kvyat's No. 26 car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2022
See also
In Spanish: Daniil Kvyat para niños
