On Sunday, Daniil Kvyat took part in the Russian Endurance Challenge for the first time on the Igora Drive circuit in one crew with Roman Rusinov and won the race. In an exclusive interview with F1News.ru, Daniil shared his impressions of the new experience and commented on his first race in the US NASCAR series, which he entered a week ago in Indianapolis.
Q: Daniel, this is your first endurance race. What did you think?
Daniil Kvyat: Yes, a long race, many laps, where you have to gradually increase the rhythm, avoid incidents with circular and slower cars. All this is very interesting to follow.
Q: Did you enjoy being in a crew with a partner and everything doesn’t depend on you alone?
Daniil KvyatA: Yes, of course, very interesting. Roma and I have actually been friends for a long time and were supposed to perform together, but it didn’t grow together. As a result, my childhood dream came true to perform in the same crew with Roma Rusinov!
Q: Did you like the track Igora Drive? What can you say about her?
Daniil Kvyat: Very good song. Everyone had high expectations because Formula 1 races would be held here. There are a lot of interesting corners here, the track is long, there are straights, fast and slow corners, twisty parts, height differences. The track turned out to be very good.
Q: You have become the first Russian driver to complete a race in the NASCAR series. What do you think of this experience and the new car?
Daniil KvyatA: Everything was new to me. I arrived early, we have a small team and we didn’t even know if we would have time to collect the car for the race. I helped the boys collect it. Basically everything was fine with those details that I touched.
Question: You master the craft of mechanic!
Daniil Kvyat: I’ve always loved doing this, and now I remembered my childhood. I’ve had an interesting experience – I’ve always wanted to try NASCAR. It’s a totally different world, another dimension. A lot of guys have been racing for a long time and we have a pretty modest team. Very good, but modest in size. We are gradually starting to enter – I have a very good experience.
Q: What is the difference in driving the NASCAR car from the one you have previously performed in?
Daniil Kvyat: The NASCAR car is a completely different world. It’s like tennis and badminton. Of course, basic things like the steering wheel and tires are common, but that’s where the similarities end. The degree of grip with the track, how to squeeze the most out of the car – everything is different. Each car is interesting in its own way, but they are very different in driving.
Q: Do you plan to drive one or two more NASCAR races this season?
Daniil Kvyat: Yes, so far such plans.
Q: What are your longer term plans?
Daniil Kvyat: I don’t look much ahead yet. As practice has shown, it is better not to look too far ahead. Every race is an experience and time on the track. First you need to gain experience and then fight for high results.
Source: F1 News
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
