Racing team Team Hezeberg announced the day before that Russian Daniil Kvyat will make his debut in the American NASCAR series in Indianapolis next weekend.
He will sit behind the wheel of a Toyota Camry TRD stock car with the number 26, under which he once participated in Formula 1.
Talk about the possible transition of Kvyat to NASCAR appeared last fall.
Then he went to the stage in Martinsville and, according to media reports, negotiated with the Stewart Haas Racing team, but the matter did not go beyond discussions.
In winter, Kvyat became a pilot of the Russian G-Drive Racing team and was supposed to compete in the World Endurance Championship.
However, in March, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) demanded that Russian athletes sign a special agreement on political neutrality for admission to the competition, but the athlete himself and the team representatives did not do this and withdrew from the tournament.
After that, the former Formula 1 star disappeared from the pages of the sports press for several months.
And in early July, the American media reported that the pilot received a NASCAR license, which does not require FIA approval, and is preparing for a new turn in his career.
At the same time, the athlete posted on social networks a number of pictures from the Road America race.
In one of the photos, he is captured with Loris Hezemans, the lead pilot of Team Hezeberg.
This racing team was created by Loris' father, Toine Hesemans, specifically so that his son could compete in the American championship.
Team Hezeberg exists quite recently, since October last year, and participates in races quite selectively.
So far, she has only three stages on her account, and before the arrival of the Russian, there was only one car in the stable - the Ford Mustang GT at number 27. The co-pilot of Team Hezeberg is the 1997 Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who resumed his racing career after a nine-year break.
Apparently, the team is set to seriously declare itself, if not this season, then next, and Kvyat's invitation is the best way to serve this purpose.
Co-owner of the team Josh Rium, commenting on the addition to the pilots' camp, stressed that he was glad to have a hand in the transition of the Russian to NASCAR.
“Daniil is a very talented racer with vast experience in open-wheel cars.
I think NASCAR is a great place for Daniil, especially given the ability of Next Gen cars in many styles,” he said.
The Russian also stressed that he was grateful to the team for the opportunity to play in this American series, as it always attracted and intrigued him.
“NASCAR Cup Series racing has a rich history and is very popular in the US and around the world.
I think they manage to strike a great balance between a modern and more old-fashioned approach.
Now I want to put all my energy into working here to give myself the best possible chance of becoming a worthy opponent.
After leaving Formula 1, I wanted to do something really cool.
And I couldn’t imagine anything cooler than NASCAR, I’ll tell you for sure, ”Kvyat said.
He added that he is very serious about the new type of competition for himself and expects to fight for the victory.
According to Daniil, he has watched a lot of NASCAR competitions, both in person and on tape, so he knows that races there can be quite tough, especially for beginners.
But he is well prepared for this, because he has always been a big fan of contact racing.
“I was curious to try.
It's a very tough series where the tough guys are racing at a very high level.
For several years now I have been trying to get here, and finally I had such an opportunity.
I am open to the idea of riding oval tracks and trying to make that transition.
I really want to achieve the best results and one day compete for the championship title, ”said the pilot.
The Russian said that the mechanics of the team have been working tirelessly lately to prepare the car for the next start.
As for the track in Indianapolis, Kvyat called it difficult, but stressed that he was looking forward to this test.
At the same time, the driver said that he does not exclude his return to Formula 1, but at this stage of his career he is “fully focused” on NASCAR in order to achieve his goals.
“Of course, you can discuss what other opportunities there are in Formula 1, but right now I will make my debut in the NASCAR Cup Series and give it all my strength,” Daniil concluded.
According to columnist Bob Pokrass, the main thing for a Russian in his debut race is to reach the finish line.
He noted that NASCAR stock cars are very different from the open-wheel cars that Kvyat is used to, so it is difficult to predict how he will perform.
“He will be driving for a limited-schedule Cup Series team who want to make a name for themselves in these races.
A good result in Indianapolis would be for him to just get to the finish line, get out of trouble in the fight against rivals and understand how these cars handle and react.
Fans will primarily follow their favorite pilots and the struggle in the championship, but Kvyat's performance will become an additional intrigue, ”the Championship quotes the expert.
So far, Daniil has been announced for only three stages of the series - in addition to Indianapolis, he will enter the track in Watkins Glen on August 21 and in Concord on October 9.
All these races are road races, that is, the Russians will not be able to try their hand at the oval yet.
The series will end on November 6 in Phoenix.