Vergne does not understand Red Bull’s logic

Fourteen. That is the number of points that separated Daniil Kvyat, 14th in the Formula 1 World Championship, from his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne, who was ranked 13th. And yet, despite this points tally favoring the Frenchman, it is the young Russian driver who was chosen by Red Bull to support Daniel Ricciardo in 2015.

Vergne still has trouble understanding the situation and Red Bull’s strange choice: « It doesn’t make sense. Last year, I knew the reasons why I lost the Red Bull seat to Ricciardo. This year, I think there is a bit of politics in this decision, I don’t know. »

Evidently, the purely sporting aspect doesn’t seem to be a valid reason for the Frenchman, who feels he got caught in Red Bull’s game: « They said that only points mattered. They knew I had 5 kilos more than my teammate, which cost me about two-tenths in qualifying, something few people knew. They were aware of all the technical issues that prevented me from scoring points. »

Vergne feels frustrated with the outcome of a season he considers successful on his part: « I think I’ve had a very good season compared to last year and I think I’ve had quite a bit of bad luck with many technical issues. I could have had a lot more points and things would have been different for me. I made an important step forward compared to last season and I feel like a more fulfilled driver. »

That said, the Frenchman tries to stay positive and looks to the future to remain competitive with, perhaps, a return to Formula 1 soon: « I have nothing to regret. There are many things that I can’t say, which worked against me. I always try to be stronger when something goes wrong for me. »