Daniil Kvyat

Daniil Kvyat Bio

Daniil Vyacheslavovich Kvyat, born 26 April 1994, is a Russian racing driver who competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse. He is a former Formula One driver who participated in the sport from 2014 to 2020, recording three career podiums and one fastest lap across six seasons. Born in Ufa and raised in Moscow, Kvyat rose through karting and junior single-seater ranks before becoming one of the most successful Russian drivers in Formula One history. After leaving F1, he transitioned to endurance racing, signing with Lamborghini in 2024 to drive the SC63 in the premier Hypercar class.

Early Life and Background

Daniil Kvyat was born on 26 April 1994 in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia, to parents Vyacheslav and Zulfiya Kvyat. He lived in Ufa until the year 2000, when his family relocated to Moscow. It was in Moscow that he first raced go-karts, beginning his path toward a professional motorsport career. Kvyat has described his childhood as one shaped by movement, training, and the steady support of his parents.

In January 2005, Kvyat made his professional debut in motorsports, winning his first race in Sochi. Through the 2005 and 2006 seasons he competed in local events, including the Russian karting championship and cup, along with occasional races in Italy. Consistently strong results convinced his family to support a full move to Italy during the winter of 2007, where his parents took turns staying with him so he could balance schooling and racing. He enrolled in an Italian school and continued to race in local tournaments.

Path to NASCAR

Kvyat’s exposure to NASCAR came after his Formula One career had already concluded. In December 2017, he tested a NASCAR Whelen Euro Series racecar at a young driver test, signaling early curiosity about stock car racing. Throughout 2021 and 2022, Kvyat attended multiple NASCAR Cup Series events at venues including Martinsville Speedway and Road America, and appeared in several teams’ garages to learn the discipline from the inside.

In 2022, Kvyat made three starts in the NASCAR Cup Series for Team Hezeberg, campaigning car number 26, the same number he carried throughout his Formula One career. He made his official NASCAR debut at the 2022 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, finishing 36th after retiring with suspension issues. The brief stint gave Kvyat firsthand experience with oval-style and road-course stock car racing in the United States.

Daniil Kvyat Career

Early Career (2009-2012)

Kvyat began his international karting campaign in 2009 with Morsicani Racing, winning the prestigious Winter Cup in the KF3 category from the back of the grid after a clutch failure in qualifying. He also claimed victories in WSK rounds at Sarno and Le-Castellet, drawing the attention of Red Bull, who signed him to its Junior Team alongside Carlos Sainz Jr. Progressing to Formula BMW in 2010 with Eurointernational, he won races in Malaysia and Singapore and secured a podium at Monza in his debut European season.

In 2011, Kvyat joined Koiranen Bros. Motorsport for a full campaign in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup and the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, finishing runner-up to Sainz in the NEC with seven wins. He returned to the category in 2012 and dominated the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps series with a double win at Monza, while in the Eurocup he battled Stoffel Vandoorne for the title, eventually losing out due to a wrong tire call at Barcelona. The same weekend, however, he secured the Alps championship crown.

GP3 and Formula 3 Breakthrough (2013)

Kvyat moved to the GP3 Series in 2013 with MW Arden, winning the championship in his rookie year and capping the season with dominant performances at Monza and Abu Dhabi. At those two final rounds he scored pole position, victory, and fastest lap, leading every lap to claim maximum points and seal the title. He simultaneously contested the European Formula 3 championship with Carlin Motorsport, though as a late registration he was ineligible for points, scoring five pole positions and a commanding win at Zandvoort.

His GP3 success caught the eye of Red Bull Junior Team head Helmut Marko, who offered Kvyat a Formula One contract directly after the Zandvoort F3 weekend. The young Russian was fast-tracked into the Toro Rosso test driver role for the final two Grands Prix of 2013, taking part in Friday practice sessions in the United States and Brazil.

Toro Rosso Debut and Red Bull Promotion (2014-2016)

Kvyat became a full-time Toro Rosso driver for 2014, replacing Daniel Ricciardo alongside Jean-Éric Vergne. He made his Formula One debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, qualifying in the top ten and finishing ninth to break Sebastian Vettel’s record as the youngest points-scorer in Formula One history at the age of 19. He scored points in Malaysia, China, Britain, and Belgium, ending his rookie season fifteenth in the World Championship and earning both the FIA Rookie of the Year and Autosport Rookie of the Year awards.

Promoted to Red Bull Racing in 2015 to replace four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, Kvyat delivered immediately with a second-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix, becoming the second-youngest driver to record a Formula One podium. He outscored teammate Daniel Ricciardo by three points to finish seventh overall with 95 points. The 2016 season started well with a podium in China, but a controversial collision with Vettel at the Russian Grand Prix led Red Bull to demote Kvyat back to Toro Rosso in favor of Max Verstappen.

Toro Rosso, Ferrari, and Final F1 Years (2016-2020)

Returning to Toro Rosso for the latter half of 2016 and the full 2017 campaign, Kvyat posted several strong qualifying and race performances, securing a re-signing for 2017. The season, however, was disrupted by retirements and inconsistent form, and he was replaced by Pierre Gasly for the Malaysian Grand Prix. After the United States Grand Prix, Red Bull confirmed Kvyat’s release from its junior programme, ending his Toro Rosso stint.

Without a race seat for 2018, Kvyat became a Ferrari development driver, working in the Maranello simulator and testing the SF71H at Fiorano during a Pirelli wet weather test. He rejoined Toro Rosso in 2019 and earned a shock third-place podium at the rain-affected German Grand Prix, his third career podium. Retained for 2020, he finished fourteenth overall with 32 points before being replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, leaving Formula One as Russia’s most successful grand prix driver.

Alpine and Endurance Racing Era (2021-Present)

In 2021, Kvyat served as reserve driver for Alpine alongside Zhou Guanyu. He was then set to race for G-Drive Racing in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, but the team withdrew following sanctions imposed on Russian athletes after the invasion of Ukraine. Kvyat publicly described those restrictions as unfair and discriminatory. He returned to the WEC in 2023 with Prema Racing in the LMP2 class, racing under an Italian license and scoring a podium on debut at the 1000 Miles of Sebring.

Kvyat signed with Lamborghini in 2024 to drive the SC63 in the premier Hypercar class of the WEC alongside Mirko Bortolotti and Edoardo Mortara. The programme moved to the IMSA SportsCar Championship for 2025, where Kvyat races car number 63 for Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse.

Driving Style and Strengths

Kvyat built his reputation on smooth, calculated race craft and consistency across changing conditions. His standout drives in the wet, including the 2019 German Grand Prix podium, highlighted his composure under pressure. Working alongside engineers and teammates like Bortolotti and Mortara, he has adapted his open-wheel experience to the demands of Hypercar endurance racing, focusing on tire management and stint length over a long race distance.

Notable Races and Milestones

Kvyat’s career milestones include becoming the youngest Formula One points-scorer at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, his maiden podium at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix, and his third podium at the 2019 German Grand Prix. His three NASCAR Cup Series starts in 2022 with Team Hezeberg marked his transition toward American motorsport, while his current Lamborghini SC63 program represents his first full-season Hypercar campaign in IMSA.

Daniil Kvyat Career Wins

Across karting, junior single-seaters, Formula One, and sportscar racing, Kvyat has accumulated an extensive record of victories. He claimed 23 wins in Formula Renault 2.0, the GP3 Series championship in 2013, and a podium at his WEC debut in 2023. He also recorded three Formula One podium finishes and several victories in karting competitions, including the Winter Cup and Trofeo delle Industrie.

FIA World Endurance Championship Highlights

Kvyat’s endurance racing debut with Prema Racing in 2023 produced an immediate podium at the 1000 Miles of Sebring in the LMP2 class. In 2024, he stepped up to the premier Hypercar class with Lamborghini, racing the SC63 alongside Mirko Bortolotti and Edoardo Mortara. The team carried that program into the IMSA SportsCar Championship for 2025, marking Kvyat’s first full season of North American endurance racing.

Other Wins and Performances

Kvyat won the GP3 Series title in 2013 with MW Arden and the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps championship in 2012 with Koiranen GP. He earned both the FIA Rookie of the Year and Autosport Rookie of the Year awards for his 2014 Formula One debut. His three NASCAR Cup Series starts in 2022 with Team Hezeberg in car number 26 added American stock car experience to his diverse résumé.

Daniil Kvyat Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Daniil Kvyat was born to Vyacheslav and Zulfiya Kvyat, who sacrificed considerably to support his racing career. After his early karting success in Russia, the family relocated to Italy during the winter of 2007 so Daniil could compete in one of the most competitive karting environments in the world. His parents stayed with him alternately while he attended an Italian school and continued racing locally. Their commitment laid the foundation for his rise through the Red Bull Junior Team and into Formula One.

Through his relationship with Kelly Piquet, daughter of three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet, Kvyat is connected to one of the most famous racing dynasties in the sport. The couple’s first child, a daughter, was born in July 2019, though the pair later separated in December 2019.

Personal Life

Kvyat currently resides in Monaco and holds an Italian racing license, having switched nationality for international motorsport purposes following restrictions on Russian athletes. In addition to his native Russian, he is fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English, and speaks some Finnish and Dutch. His hobbies include table tennis, football, wakeboarding, skiing, playing the guitar, and listening to heavy metal music, with favorite songs by Metallica and Motörhead. He chose racing number 26 for his Formula One career despite having no prior attachment to it, hoping to make the number his own.

2025 Season Performance

The 2025 season marks Daniil Kvyat’s first full campaign in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse, driving the Lamborghini SC63 in car number 63 alongside Mirko Bortolotti and Edoardo Mortara. The program represents Lamborghini’s push into North American endurance racing and gives Kvyat the chance to adapt his single-seater and LMP2 experience to the Hypercar category.

Kvyat also expanded his testing role in Formula E during 2025, joining DS Penske for the Jeddah ePrix rookie free practice session, where he finished fifth, and later taking part in the Berlin rookie test alongside Nikita Bedrin. These appearances reflect his continued involvement in multiple motorsport disciplines while based in Monaco.

Looking ahead, Kvyat remains focused on establishing the Lamborghini SC63 as a competitive Hypercar entry in IMSA, building on the team’s WEC learning from 2024. His combination of Formula One pedigree, endurance racing experience, and versatility across formats positions him as a steady driver to watch through the 2025 campaign and beyond.