Kvyat back on track, lands WEC LMP2 drive with Prema

Ex-F1 racer Daniil Kvyat will compete in the World Endurance Championship this season with Italian LMP2 outfit Prema.

Kvyat is set to share the team's Oreca #63 entry with teammates Mirko Bortolotti and female racer Doriane Pin.

"It’s a very exciting part of my career to join Prema and compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship together," commented Kvyat.

"The team is very notorious for previous success, and it’s now looking to conquer the world of Endurance racing as well.

"I’m very excited to be part of it and very motivated to give my absolute best to try to put ourselves in the top positions."

Kvyat raced for six seasons in F1 between 2014 and 2020, exclusively with Red Bull and Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri. In 2021, the 28-year-old Russian was contracted to Alpine as the Enstone squad's test and reserve driver.

Kvyat had initially planned to race last season in the WEC with Russian LMP2 outfit G-Drive, but the team and its Russian drivers refused to sign the FIA's mandatory 'Driver Commitment' for the country's competitors that was put in place by the governing body following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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Last summer, Kvyat - who enjoyed several outings in the US in NASCAR - said that he had not given up all hope of one day returning to F1.

"I think you never say never," he said. "And of course F1 as always has a special place in my heart. Who knows, hopefully one day we can talk about it again.

"I'm still young. As some people have shown, you can come back after a little break and still do well," he said. "But at the moment of course the timing, let's say, is not ideal for that perhaps."

The WEC will get underway at Sebring on March 17th, with six rounds, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, constituting the championship's campaign.

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