Vitaly Petrov, who was Russia's first Formula 1 racer, has said that his countryman Daniil Kvyat's career in the category is still on track.

On the face of it, 22-year-old Kvyat has actually suffered a major blow as Red Bull relegated him to the junior team Toro Rosso to make room for Max Verstappen.

The energy drink company says that Kvyat struggled to cope with the pressure at Red Bull, culminating in the events at Sochi, and will now be allowed to recover his form at Toro Rosso.

"Talking of Daniil's prospects, the main thing is that he is staying in Formula 1," Petrov, who raced in F1 for Renault and Caterham, told Russia's Sport-Express.

"And he's not with a bad team. On some tracks, Toro Rosso can fight on equal terms with Red Bull and other teams. But this is not the most important thing.

"Most important now is his fight with new teammate Carlos Sainz, and it will be an interesting battle. Kvyat's main task is to look good and if it happens, he still has a great future."

The season continues on Sunday with the Spanish Grand Prix.