A year on the sidelines offered Daniil Kvyat an opportunity to restore his psych and refresh his attitude although he did not know if he would be returning to F1. F1.
After a volatile few years in F1 with Red Bull, marked by a hopeful promotion and a painful demotion, Kvyat dropped by Toro Rosso after last year's US Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old found employment with Ferrari for 2018, conducting simulator work for the Scuderia at Maranello.
Circumstances brought him back into Red Bull's good graces however, and back into the Faenza-based outfit's junior stable.
The new and improved Daniil Kvyat now "feels stronger and better prepared" to embrace a third chance at F1.
"I'm very happy to be back," he said.
"But you cannot be happy forever. You have to recognise that there is a lot of work ahead, and I've worked hard on myself this year.
"It's very important to be in a good mental state and that is exactly what I was focusing on this year, even though very recently it was not certain that I would go back.
"Once I heard it, I was confident it would be very positive," he added.
Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost also believes the Russian's forced sabbatical has left him a more mature and better driver.
"I was with Daniil in Sochi and we had a fantastic dinner together," he said.
"He's relaxed and I have the feeling he is much more measured than the year before," Tost added. "I expect a competitive Daniil Kvyat."
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