“Going to Be Fired”: Daniil Kvyat Discloses Helmut Marko’s Savage Ultimatum That Put His Career in Danger

Daniil Kvyat is one of those drivers who has experienced firsthand what it’s like to be part of the Red Bull family. He was recognized as a talented young driver early on by Dr. Helmut Marko, and got to drive in Formula 1 in 2014. And even before he concluded his first season with STR Renault (currently Alpha Tauri) he got news of being promoted to the senior team after Sebastian Vettel announced he was joining Ferrari in 2015. Kvyat had a great first season with the senior team, beating Daniel Ricciardo by the end of the season.

However, his performance against a proven race winner, Ricciardo, had little impact. Only after four races into the 2016 season, he got replaced by a young Max Verstappen, who had filled in his place in STR Renault in 2015. Having been dropped by the senior team, Kvyat lost his motivation and confidence. As a result, he could not beat Carlos Sainz, a fellow Red Bull academy driver, who joined the STR Renault in 2015 and was full of confidence. This, however, was not the first time Kvyat had gone up against Carlos Sainz.

Kvyat and Sainz joined the Red Bull young driver’s program together, thanks to Antonio Ferrari, who is the head of Eurointernational. He was the one who tipped Helmut Marko to pick up the two young drivers during a Formula BMW test. Teaming up with Carlos Sainz in the Formula BMW Europe team for 2010, Kvyat started the season on the back foot as Carlos Sainz had the edge over him. And that is when he first witnessed the ruthless nature of Red Bull and Helmut Marko.

Daniil Kvyat recalls the time Helmut Marko gave him an ultimatum against Sainz

In the recent Lights to Flag series on Formula1.com Kvyat shared the story of what happened when he was unable to put up with Carlos Sainz in the Formula BMW Europe team. He remembered,

“Especially at the beginning it was tough and I got a call from Helmut. He was like, ‘You know what if you don’t improve next race, I think we’re done here’, so I was like, ‘Wow, OK’. I was under a lot of pressure already. I had to go to Hockenheim and be ahead of Carlos, Helmut told me,” Kvyat was quoted by Formula 1.

“I said, ‘OK, but please change the car to my liking’ because the set-up was the set-up and we just ran it,” he added. “We did it and it worked very well, I remember I out-qualified Carlos and was ahead in the races. I think that’s what Helmut really liked about me, because he thought, ‘OK, if I can basically tell him he’s going to be fired and he can do this job, then it’s good’.”

READ MORE: Daniil Kvyat Makes Eye-Opening Confession About Red Bull’s Taskmaster After Being “Betrayed” by His Own Team

After having stayed out for 3 years now, Daniil Kvyat recently opened up on his plans to make a return to F1.

‘Why Not?’ says Kvyat on his chance to return to F1

Kvyat, who is currently racing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and looking for a potential move to Formula E, reflected on his time away from Formula 1 earlier this year. He described Formula 1 as a constant battle. He acknowledged the pressure and scrutiny from the media, as well as the demanding travel schedule. Despite the challenges, he expressed that he would take up the chance to get back to F1.

Reflecting on his past, Kvyat acknowledged the turning point in his career when Max Verstappen replaced him at Red Bull. Despite the setbacks, Kvyat remains open to a potential return to Formula 1 if the opportunity presents itself.

“I mean I don’t think about it as much,” said Kvyat. “It’s in the past, but if the opportunity would come, why not? You don’t turn it down of course you know. Sometimes the rookies now maybe they struggle a lot more, people with experience, with that kind experience of pressure in Formula 1, it’s important.”

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Does Kvyat realistically have a chance of making it back on the F1 grid? Share your insight down below in the comments.