Daniil Kvyat says Toro Rosso must maintain its focus in a bid to retain its lofty position in the Formula 1 pecking order, following Thursday’s practice sessions in Monaco.
Kvyat claimed fourth place in the second session, behind only Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Räikkönen, with Carlos Sainz Jr. reinforcing Toro Rosso’s pace in fifth.
While wary that Mercedes is likely to regroup and overhaul Toro Rosso, Kvyat stressed that his team must stay concentrated in ensuring the STR12 remains in its current “happy window.”
“The car has a lot of potential, every time we put it in the right window it’s a very competitive car” he said.
“[To] put it in the right window we have to do a lot of work and we clearly did it correctly, not like in Barcelona.
“The car was very pleasant to drive, very reliable, predictable for me, suitable for my driving style, and as a result we are P4 and P5.
“So we should maintain this and stay very focused trying to maintain this happy window for Saturday.”
On whether Toro Rosso could dream of a podium finish, Kvyat said: “Many things should happen for us to be there, let’s not get overexcited.
“There’s lot of work to be done, car seems good, but as we know we have to be extremely focused to stay in this comfortable window.”
