The National Sport front page on Sunday, September 27 is divided into three parts, featuring Daniil Kvyat’s crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, Wales’ stunning win against England in the Rugby World Cup, and Tottenham’s defeat of Manchester City in the Premier League. The session prematurely ended qualifying and denied those behind him completing their second laps, whilst also giving Red Bull a big job overnight to fix the vehicle for the race.
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“I am not as good as them at building the auto but I will try to stay with them as long as I can tonight”.
It was a heart-stopping reminder of Frenchman Jules Bianchi’s fatal crash at a wet Suzuka previous year but the Russian was quick to report he was unhurt over the radio, chirping: “I’m okay!” “I put two wheels on the grass and there was no run off area so it was a quite logical end I think”.
Kvyat, in his first year with Red Bull after a season at sister team Toro Rosso, had to rack his brains for a bigger accident at any previous stage of his career and failed to come up with one.
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo qualified seventh on track, with Romain Grosjean eighth for Lotus, and Sergio Perez ninth for Sahara Force India. It is a silly accident but it is easy to do.
“You’re only using your peripheral vision to see the outside of the track – he would have been looking at the apex to the right”.
Nico Rosberg starts from pole for only the second time this season after pipping Lewis Hamilton to the fastest time in a return to form for Mercedes after their blip in Singapore last week. They were preparing for their final timed laps when Kvyat’s accident occurred.
And it was this red flag that probably saved Nico Rosberg’s time, preserving it at the head of the order.
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However, Kvyat has suggested that the effect of his crash on his grid position was more important. “I lost a tenth and a half in the last corner on my first lap, but the next lap was pretty quick”.
