Toro Rosso confirms Kvyat, and Wehrlein could join him

Daniil Kvyat’s return to the Toro Rosso Formula 1 team for the 2019 season has been confirmed.

Kvyat had emerged as a surprise favourite to land a drive at the team that dropped him late last year.

It will be Kvyat’s third spell at Toro Rosso, having raced for the team in 2014 and then again from early ’16 after being demoted from the senior Red Bull team.

He was dropped after the 2017 United States Grand Prix and joined Ferrari as a development driver, but has been freed up to return to his original backer because Red Bull is promoting Pierre Gasly to replace Daniel Ricciardo.

Kvyat said: “First of all, I would like to thank Red Bull and Toro Rosso for giving me this opportunity to race in Formula 1 again and I am particularly pleased to be returning to a team I know very well.

“Toro Rosso has always made me feel at home and I’m sure it will still be the same next season.”

Meanwhile, Pascal Wehrlein has emerged as a surprise contender for the second Toro Rosso drive next year.

Wehrlein is understood to have met Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko in Graz last week, and the Red Bull boss admitted that the driver’s availability had made Wehrlein a candidate.

“It’s a different story now, yes,” Marko said. “We haven’t made any decision. He’s on a long list.”

However Christian Horner has downplayed the possibility, suggesting that the German is already committed elsewhere.

“My understanding is he’s off to do Formula E next year,” he said.