Toro Rosso is to replace Daniil Kvyat with Red Bull junior driver Pierre Gasly for the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend. Currently racing in the Japanese Super Formula series, 21-year-old Gasly will make his F1 debut at Sepang, as reported by Motorsport.com’s Jonathan Noble. “I feel as ready as I can be, having had to be prepared for anything in my role as Red Bull Racing’s third driver this year,” said Gasly in Toro Rosso’s statement, issued on Tuesday. “I will do my best to perform well with Scuderia Toro Rosso during these coming races.” Gasly took part in two Red Bull F1 tests earlier this year, and has taken two victories in this year’s Super Formula series for Team Mugen. The Red Bull reserve driver is now being evaluated for a full-time F1 drive in 2018.
“Scuderia Toro Rosso was established by Red Bull to bring youngsters from its Junior Programme into Formula 1 and that’s what we are doing by giving Pierre this chance,” said Toro Rosso Team Principal Franz Tost. “He is the next in line at Red Bull for this opportunity and he has shown that he deserves it, having taken the 2016 GP2 title and this year being very competitive in the Super Formula series in Japan. “He really has a valid chance of winning the title, as he is only half a point behind the leader. The driver switch gives us an opportunity to make a more informed decision regarding our 2018 driver choices.”
Since Kvyat was moved from Red Bull to Toro Rosso for the 2016 Spanish GP, the 23-year-old Russian has struggled against Carlos Sainz Jr. Sitting 19th in the drivers’ standings, Kvyat has scored four points this season compared to Sainz, who is ninth with 48 points; Toro Rosso itself is sixth in the constructors’ championship, seven points behind Williams’ tally of 59 points. Gasly was to take Sainz’s seat in Malaysia, according to Motorsport.com, but Jolyon Palmer’s reluctance to vacate his Renault seat early for Sainz has meant that Sainz will stay put for the rest of the season as well. Sainz’s performance this season, including a fourth place finish in Singapore, has also given Toro Rosso cause to retain him for the remaining six races as the Italian-based team seeks to close the gap to fifth place Williams and consolidate sixth place ahead of Renault.
Kvyat’s future at Toro Rosso is unclear, though he may contest the USA GP at Austin as the date (Oct. 22) clashes with the Super Formula final which Gasly will compete in. “For a variety of reasons, some of them due to technical problems, but others being mistakes of his own making, Daniil Kvyat has not really shown his true potential so far this year, which is why we are standing him down for the next races,” continued Tost in Toro Rosso’s statement. “This will give us the opportunity to evaluate Pierre on track during a proper race weekend.”
