Daniil Kvyat described the German Grand Prix as “like a horror movie with black comedy” as he scored a shock podium finish in an eventful race.
Kvyat started from 14th place on the grid and spent substantial portions of a rain-hit race outside of the top 10, but as the circuit dried in the closing stages he was among the first to switch to slicks.
As the front-runners pitted soon after, the extra lap on the drying circuit – allied with pitting as the Safety Car came in – proved pivotal.
The Russian vaulted from the foot of the top 10 to third, and briefly ran second after passing Lance Stroll, but was overtaken late on by Sebastian Vettel.
Kvyat nonetheless managed to take third place as he recovered his first podium since the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix, and Toro Rosso’s first in almost 11 years.
“It was a horror movie with a black comedy,” he said. “At some point I thought the race was done for me but it came alive again. It was incredible. It was incredible.
“It was a rollercoaster. A bit like my whole career.”
Kvyat also revealed post-race that his partner, Kelly Piquet, gave birth to their first child – a girl – on Saturday evening.
“From my side I would dedicate my podium to my girlfriend Kelly and to my daughter,” he said.
“I’m very happy with this podium, fantastic also for the team, 11 years since last podium, Sebastian in 2008. I think everyone’s really happy today.”
