Daniil Kvyat is unwilling to firmly say whether he has changed or matured since his last Formula 1 start, instead preferring to let his driving do the talking upon returning to the sport this year.

Kvyat will return to Toro Rosso for the 2019 season after being dropped by the team twice through 2017, with his last start coming at that year’s United States Grand Prix.

Red Bull and Toro Rosso chiefs cited Kvyat’s greater maturity gained during his year out as a factor in his return, but the Russian is not keen on making firm judgements.

“I don’t want to say whether I’ve changed or not,” Kvyat said.

“I know there’s been a lot of speculation about this and whether I’ve matured or not and so on, but I prefer to let my driving on the track answer.

“I just want to get in the car and see what happens. There is plenty of work to do and four days on track in Barcelona before we go racing, which will be very important for everyone.”

Kvyat spent much of his year away working with Ferrari as its simulator driver, and feels it played an important role in keeping him sharp for a possible F1 return.

“I really appreciate the opportunity that Ferrari gave me last year. It was a great experience and I gave it everything I had,” Kvyat said.

“I really enjoyed working for them. They were very kind to me, so I repaid them by always working hard and never said no to extra days work. It was a pleasure.

“To be honest, I think even if you only drive in the simulator, nowadays they are very sophisticated, so you can practice and practice and I think by driving a lot there, it’s kept me in shape and allowed me not to forget how an F1 car feels.”

Kvyat will complete his first extended run in the new Toro Rosso STR14 car in Barcelona on Monday at the start of pre-season testing.

Kvyat shared a filming day outing with teammate Alexander Albon at Misano last week, with the team limited to 100 km of running with the new car.