Daniil Kvyat, 19, to drive for Toro Rosso

[Eau Rouge]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/

so F1 has now become a childrens playground? What happened to the days where F1 was a mans sport? Now we have these young kids brainwashed to say the right thing, wear the watches, thank the sponsors. I really miss the days where the drivers said what they wanted and not what they were told to as im sure is the case for this new arrival.

Ok im gonna get a back lashing im sure but i grew up watching Prost, Mansell, Senna etc where the cars were animals and you were risking your life every lap. Its what made the sport what it was then. Of course its great that safety is better but there has to be some risk. These kids would have brown underwear and be exhausted after 1 lap in the 80s MP4/4 McLaren.

ok bring on the abuse!!!

[Mekola]

Sad to see Antonio Félix Da Costa out of the scheme when almost all people though he had the Toro Rosso seat for 2014.

[Eau Rouge]

sure money in involved despite what they say.

[Rollo]

What dya mean now has become a childrens' playground?

Alonso was 20 when he first drove for Minardi. I'm kinda sure that Chris Amon was only 19 when he started at Brabham. Eddie Cheever can't have been kicking any more than about 20 either.
There might have been some really young Mexican driver for Ferrari in the early 60s too. I flipped through a book I have about Ferrari cars and this chap looks like he's in high school or something.

[truefan72]

STR say they have no doubts

but the rest of us and the rest of the motorsport world has plenty of doubts
As some have suggested, i'm sure money is involved. This kid " and I really do mean waif like kid ( looks like he has never lifted a single weight in his life) seems way to young and inexperienced to be driving an F1 car. No way he is one of the top 22 drivers in the world. There are probably 60 guys more qualified to fill that seat than this lad.

and when STR sucks yet again next year they will surely blame this too inexperienced and rushed guy for their failures, then get rid of him for then next ridiculous experiment and bad judgement call by marko and his clown posse. At this point it almost seems like they are just contrarians for the heck of it. logic be damned.

As much as i like vergne, imagine where STR would be today if they still had Buemi and Alguersari driving for them. 3 years of consistency and jointly developing a car with 2 young and quick guys?
Ricciardo is good for sure, but not as good as buemi imo.
But this latest stunt with this kid is a bit astonishing

[N. Jones]

Kivyat, huh? Well, HE'LL be cheaper than Perez! :D

[airshifter]

That really isn't that young of an age to be a good, or even great driver. Young people do fantastic in many forms of motorsport, and the thing usually holding them back is lack of funding to promote themselves. Being this is a feeder to the Red Bull cars, it gives him time to mature and learn lessons on the track... something you can't fake.

[zako85]

STR say they have no doubts

but the rest of us and the rest of the motorsport world has plenty of doubts
As some have suggested, i'm sure money is involved. This kid " and I really do mean waif like kid ( looks like he has never lifted a single weight in his life) seems way to young and inexperienced to be driving an F1 car. No way he is one of the top 22 drivers in the world. There are probably 60 guys more qualified to fill that seat than this lad.

Why should it be surprising that STR hires one of Red Bull sponsored drivers? Kvyat was in their program for at least two years now. STR is not looking for the most experienced and qualified driver. They're looking for raw, promising, but not fully yet developed or discovered talent. What's surprising is that he is making a jump from GP3 into F1 skipping GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5. I thought he still has a long way to go before coming to F1. Who knows, perhaps the money will be involved. I can imagine the renewed interest of Russian sponsors in F1, now that F1 will hold a race in Russia.

[dj_bytedisaster]

STR say they have no doubts

but the rest of us and the rest of the motorsport world has plenty of doubts
As some have suggested, i'm sure money is involved. This kid " and I really do mean waif like kid ( looks like he has never lifted a single weight in his life) seems way to young and inexperienced to be driving an F1 car. No way he is one of the top 22 drivers in the world. There are probably 60 guys more qualified to fill that seat than this lad.

Why should it be surprising that STR hires one of Red Bull sponsored drivers? Kvyat was in their program for at least two years now. STR is not looking for the most experienced and qualified driver. They're looking for raw, promising, but not fully yet developed or discovered talent. What's surprising is that he is making a jump from GP3 into F1 skipping GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5. I thought he still has a long way to go before coming to F1. Who knows, perhaps the money will be involved. I can imagine the renewed interest of Russian sponsors in F1, now that F1 will hold a race in Russia.

Jarno Trulli came straight from F3 into F1, too. Kimi came straight from Formula-Renault UK 2.0, he had even less experience than Kvyat and in contrast to Sirotkin, Kvyat has some results to show for it.

[I am evil Homer]

Sad to see Antonio Félix Da Costa out of the scheme when almost all people though he had the Toro Rosso seat for 2014.

Da Costa has hardly had the best season to justify the move up though.

There has to be cash/backing involved given that I really can't see how he'll be a step up from Buemi or Alguesari, or even other drivers on the sidelines (or potentially) - Kamui, Mass, DiResta or some of the GP2 drivers (although I suppose the likes of Bird etc. are tied in to other teams).

[anfield5]

Kvyat's age isn't really an issue, there have been youngsters racing before and some have gone on to great things. The question I would ask is "Who the hell is Daniil Kvyat?" he has hardly set GP3 on fire. I know he is second in the championship and has had a couple of wins, but...
Does he bring in extra cash from Mother Russia? I wouldn't have thought RedBull-B would need that, or have they genuinely seen something special in this kid?

[Parabolica]

Lets see what the boy can do.

At least Toro Rosso are giving drivers the opportunity.

[tjoepie]

And, much as his career has been solid rather than scintillating, 19 year-old Jenson Button went from 3rd in British Formula 3 (sort of similar in stature to GP3 as it was below Formula 3000, in a way? The feeder series were a lot more confusing then I realise) to a seat in a Williams... I'll admit that was baffling to me then. Let's give the kid a chance before flying off the handle.

[Parabolica]

And, much as his career has been solid rather than scintillating, 19 year-old Jenson Button went from 3rd in British Formula 3 (sort of similar in stature to GP3 as it was below Formula 3000, in a way? The feeder series were a lot more confusing then I realise) to a seat in a Williams... I'll admit that was baffling to me then. Let's give the kid a chance before flying off the handle.

Good post!

[anfield5]

I just hope for his sake the leap isn't too big, as this could destroy a career that could have lead to great things.

I just look at Mitch Evans, 2012 GP3 champion, stepped up to GP 2 and has driven well, but hasn't exactly been at the front. With a season under his belt, I would expect Mitch to be winning in GP2 next year. If he had gone directly to F1, I would expect that he would have been in for a season and no more.

This is the fear I have for a driver like Daniil, he may very well be the first Russian capable of winning a F1 race, but by being thrown in to soon, this chance may never arrive.

[555-04Q2]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/

so F1 has now become a childrens playground? What happened to the days where F1 was a mans sport? Now we have these young kids brainwashed to say the right thing, wear the watches, thank the sponsors. I really miss the days where the drivers said what they wanted and not what they were told to as im sure is the case for this new arrival.

Ok im gonna get a back lashing im sure but i grew up watching Prost, Mansell, Senna etc where the cars were animals and you were risking your life every lap. Its what made the sport what it was then. Of course its great that safety is better but there has to be some risk. These kids would have brown underwear and be exhausted after 1 lap in the 80s MP4/4 McLaren.

ok bring on the abuse!!!

I think you will find that todays 19 year old is yesteryears 30 year old. Times have changed boet. It's called progress.

[Parabolica]

Exactly, 555.

Had Senna, Prost, Stewart, Lauda etc all been racing in todays era, they would not have been mid-20s before they.got to F1.

Not saying that this wee Russian scamp is in their league, but there is no way Prost would have been competing in European F3 had he been 19 today.

[Ranger]

Best of luck to him.

[Sage-sg]

I hope that Daniil can do more than many of you think!