After another strong showing from Daniel Ricciardo in the Chinese Grand Prix, it was inevitable that Red Bull junior programme boss Helmut Marko would be asked about the Australian's progress.
As you'd expect, he was effusive about the 24-year-old's strong start. But he was keen to point out that Ricciardo's successor at Scuderia Toro Rosso had also done a good job.
"That's one surprise and it's very positive," he said of Ricciardo. "And the other is [Daniil] Kvyat."
He's absolutely right to highlight the strength of the Russian's start. Kvyat does not turn 20 until Saturday, yet he is not only the youngest world championship point-scorer in history, but has scored in three of his four starts as a teenager.
Some will argue that points are cheap in contemporary F1 as they are awarded to the top 10, but the reliability rate in the 21st century means that they are as difficult to earn as they have ever been.
Equally, the comparison to team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne, who has also made a good start to the season, is distorted by the fact that the Frenchman's car is 7-8kg overweight thanks to his build. But even so, it has been a great start for Kvyat.
 Kvyat and Magnussen have made impressive starts to their F1 careers © XPB |
McLaren's Kevin Magnussen has drawn the most attention of the three newcomers thanks to his excellent second place in Australia, and Marcus Ericsson has been respectable enough in difficult circumstances for Caterham, but Kvyat has been the rookie of the year based on the four races staged so far.
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