Austrian GP: Daniil Kvyat says driving damaged Red Bull 'like hell'
Daniil Kvyat described his Austrian Grand Prix as "like driving in hell" after his Red Bull Formula 1 car sustained damage on the opening lap
The Russian started the race towards the back of the field as a result of an engine change penalty, and he was caught up in a tangle with Sergio Perez's Force India shortly after the start.
He pitted for a new front wing at the end of the opening lap, but his Red Bull was badly damaged in other areas as well, making it very hard to drive.
"We had too much damage so we had no speed," said Kvyat, who finished 12th.
"There were some drivers braking on the straight after the start. Maybe they forgot which pedal to use, and I had nowhere to go.
"From then on it was a bit like driving in hell, to be honest. We were hoping for a miracle which didn't happen.
"We were just staying out in the hope there was something strategic to do but we had no chance."
While Kvyat's attempt to go long on the harder tyre did not work, his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo made a similar strategy pay off to score a point from 18th on the grid.
"We had to try something and I think trying to stay out on the prime and see what happened was a chance we needed to take," said Ricciardo.
"The pace was pretty rapid at the end so maybe we could have pitted a little earlier and gone longer with the option.
"At the start of the race if we'd said I would have finished in the top 10 I would have been fairly happy.
"Judging by our car performance and where we were this weekend I felt I got the most out of it in the race."
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