Daniil Kvyat will start in NASCAR!

Daniel Kvyat, now 28, will bounce back in NASCAR as part of a three-race freelance covering the three remaining road events in the 2022 American Stock Car Championship season. He will therefore start with Team Hezeberg this weekend on the Indianapolis road version, before returning to the wheel at the end of August near Watkins Glen and at the beginning of October on the Charlotte roval.

He will drive the Toyota #26 (like his F1 number) from the team co-founded by former Endurance driver Toine Hezemans and company boss Ernst Berg, both Dutch.

“I am very happy to be able to make my NASCAR Cup debut in Indianapolis. I have always been passionate about NASCAR, which is the most important motorsport category in the United States”said Kyvat. “NASCAR has always intrigued me because it represents a pure form of motorsport to me.

Titled in GP3 in 2013, Kvyat was launched into the deep end of Formula 1 the following season with Scuderia Toro Rosso, when he was only 19 years old. He had scored points at his very first Grand Prix, in Australia, making him at the time the youngest driver in history to achieve such a performance (record beaten the following year by Max Verstappenat the age of 17).

Daniil Kvyat on the podium at the 2019 German GP

Promoted to Red Bull in 2015 following the departure of Sebastian Vettel, he will have a discreet first season during which he will sign the first of his three podiums in F1, on the occasion of the Hungarian GP. In 2016, his rough start to the campaign (despite a second podium in China) and the scheduled ascent of Verstappen will lead to his demotion at Toro Rosso in favor of the Dutchman.

Maintained at Toro Rosso until the end of 2017, he will leave the Red Bull program on bad terms at the end of that season, before returning by surprise to the bosom of the Austrian giant and to the Italian structure in 2019. 2020 will be his last in F1, on behalf of the AlphaTauri team, Toro Rosso’s new name.

In 2021, he took on the role of reserve driver for Alpine. He was due to make his Endurance debut with G-Drive this season, but the team pulled out following restrictions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I look forward to succeeding in this form of motorsport and hope to be able to fight for wins and championships in the future. I cannot thank NASCAR enough, Josh Reaume, Toine Hezemans, Ernst Berg and all the members of the Hezeberg team for this opportunity »he added.

« The guys at the shop have been working tirelessly to prepare the machine and myself for this experience. This will be my first time in Indianapolis, and I can’t wait to experience it in person. From what I’ve seen on the videos, Indianapolis is a tough track, but I’m looking forward to this challenge, as well as racing in the NASCAR Cup. »

It should be noted that, on the side of Watkins Glen, Kvyat will find a former F1 in the person of Kimi Raikkonen.