KVYAT FINISHES FOURTH, RICCIARDO GETS A DNF AT THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

August 24, 2015 by Infiniti

DANIIL KVYAT, Finish Position: 4th, Start Position:12th

'It was a very interesting race and really good fun today. I had a lot of overtaking opportunities and the car performed well. The strategy from the team to keep me out during the virtual safety car was good, and we were able to have a strong last stint. The team did a good job and we scored some solid points. We should be happy with the performance today, and hopefully we can continue this form over the next few races.'

DANIEL RICCIARDO, Finish Position: DNF, Start Position: 5th

'I had a good start jumping up to third and the race was going okay. We didn't have a great balance with the Prime. I was struggling a little, but we were hoping to come on strong with the Option and have a good last stint. It's disappointing not to finish. We are not sure what the issue is, but the team are investigating. I lost power going into the chicane. Everything switched off, including the dash. It looks like it's electrical, but we'll see what the investigation brings.'

CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal

'Dany drove a very strong race to finish fourth from his starting grid position of twelfth. He produced some very strong overtaking maneuvers, and the strategy worked very well, so we were able to score some very useful points. It's a shame for Daniel; he had a great start to move up to third. He was running a similar strategy to Dany and I'm sure he would have been challenging for the podium. It was a lost opportunity,, but overall a reasonable weekend for the team.'

MATTHIEU DUBOIS, Renault

'Today's race was very eventful. Unfortunately Daniel had a technical problem that caused a power shutdown and he stopped on track. We need to investigate fully why this happened as it is a missed opportunity. Daniil had a solid race to get back into fourth position. We have a lot of work to do for the rest of the season to get things straight, but equally a lot of motivation to do so.'

PREVIEW

Daniel Ricciardo

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Q1: So, Daniel, when did you first encounter the Beast of the Ardennes?

Ricciardo: When I was a kid I played the racing games quite a bit, and Spa was always the track I played. It was my favorite, and when I got to drive there for real, every bit was as good as I thought it would be. My first race was in Formula Renault 2.0, and I can still picture the first lap, thinking 'wow' as I went through Eau Rouge. To win the grand prix last year was really, really cool.

Q2: The race behind you wasn't bad either. Shame that you missed it...

Ricciardo: Don't worry. I've seen the replay a few times since.

Q3: You had a comfortable lead for the second half of the race last year, but perhaps not the easiest car to drive. What was that like?

Ricciardo: It was pretty tough to drive. We ran really low downforce, pretty much Monza-spec. It made it tricky. Trying to keep up the rhythm when the car is moving around is not always easy, but I think it was the best package we had for the weekend.

Q4: You often talk about races you'd like to visit as a spectator. Does Spa qualify?

Ricciardo: Yeah, it does, but I don't like the cold. Rain is the only thing that would put me off. When Spa's sunny, it's great – a proper old-school grand prix for the real racing enthusiast. There's great atmosphere, great fans, great beer, and it's definitely the place to come if you like the frites. Only drawback is that it'll be 30°C with blue skies one minute, and hosing down the next.

Daniil Kvyat

Q1: So Dany: You've had a few weeks off. You're chilled, relaxed and calm, and now that's all about to change as you take on the 'big one' at Spa. Ready for it?

Kvyat: Yeah, definitely. Spa is one of my favorite tracks of the year. I think that's a bit of cliché, but I think it's a favorite for all the drivers. It's really long and really challenging. There are some proper fast sections and some properly balls out corners. At Spa, more than anywhere, you feel that you're really driving an F1 car.

Q2: The big balls corner at Spa seems to change depending on the cars being driven. What's the turn that requires the biggest now?

Kvyat: Eau Rouge once again. With these cars, it's back to being a bit of a ball out corner – especially in the wet. Pouhon is pretty much and Blanchimont still, but really only in the wet. It's full of great, flowing, interesting sections.

Q3: Do you get the sense of history that permeates the place?

Kvyat: Yeah, I love it. It's a totally unique feeling. There's great history there; the atmosphere is amazing. To be honest, it's quite hard to put into words. I like the weather. It always feels like one of the freshest weekends of the year – if that doesn't sound strange – but it's cold at night, and the mist and everything adds to the atmosphere.

Q4: So is it a special race for you?

Kvyat: Yeah. It's a great circuit and I think it brings out the true fans, and that's quite special.

The Human Element in F1 Presents: William Courtenay, Head of Race Strategy for Infiniti Red Bull Racing

In episode 11 of our series of short films looking at the human challenges in Formula One, we head to the Belgium Grand Prix at Spa. This circuit has unique challenges that impact the pit stop strategy. Find out more in this video from William Courtenay, head of Race Strategy for Infiniti Red Bull Racing.