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Kvyat grateful for Toro Rosso ending ‘nervous time’

Daniil Kvyat says he is appreciative of Toro Rosso for confirming his F1 future before the end of the season to avoid an anxious wait and is aiming to use the consistency to push on in 2017.

After the Russian driver was rotated back to Toro Rosso, to promote Max Verstappen to Red Bull, Kvyat's position in F1 altogether appeared under threat with Red Bull junior Pierre Gasly being lined up for a race seat in 2017.

Looking to secure his future, Kvyat had commenced contract talks with other F1 teams in case he was pushed out of Toro Rosso but this was swiftly ended when the team confirmed it would retain the Russian driver for 2017 alongside Carlos Sainz Jr.

Kvyat says his preferred option had always been to stay in the Red Bull fold and is grateful to the team for sorting out his 2017 plans early to allow him to focus on driving and take out an anxious wait.

"It was good news for me to know what I am going to do next year because it was getting to the point where it was important to know because otherwise it would start to be a really nervous time," Kvyat said. "I wasn't standing still and I was looking for the answers and I am grateful to Red Bull that I got the chances quite early on.

"Next year I still feel like I have a lot to give and have a lot to show. I am grateful it was Red Bull that gave me the opportunity and not anyone else."

Kvyat has admitted it was a 'distracting' period for him not knowing where his future in F1 lay but was thrilled to see it resolved with consistency by staying with Toro Rosso.

"It is distracting, it is not the nicest feeling," he said. "On the other hand it was good to see there was interest somewhere else as well, which wasn't a bad thing, I think, but still Toro Rosso is the team where I always have my baseline and I know this team.

"I've changed teams the last five to six years constantly and not knowing consistency in my career it is nice to stay with the team that knows me well [in 2017] and I know them well and we both trust each other. Next year seems like it offers opportunities to everyone and we hope to be the ones making the most out of it." 

Zdroj: crash.net