Remember, in the third race of this marathon season in China, Kvyat finished on the podium. Just 18 months ago he was touted as the “real deal”, the next Sebastian Vettel in Red Bull’s young driver programme. In 2015 he outscored Daniel Ricciardo, his highly respected Red Bull team-mate.

Remember, in the third race of this marathon season in China, Kvyat finished on the podium. Just 18 months ago he was touted as the “real deal”, the next Sebastian Vettel in Red Bull’s young driver programme.

Kvyat pictured back when he was a regular in New Zealand's Toyota Racing Series. Photo / Paul Estcourt

In 2015 he outscored Daniel Ricciardo, his highly respected Red Bull team-mate. But one more race beyond Shanghai is all Kvyat would get with the team, unceremoniously dumped to the company’s junior squad, Toro Rosso, in Barcelona (it must not have helped his fragile state of mind to see Max Verstappen, the 18-year-old who replaced him, win on debut).

Since then any semblance of form has evaporated. After a dismal qualifying in Germany on Saturday, he seemed like a broken man. “It seems like it’s never-ending,” the distraught Russian said. “I’m trying every weekend but nothing is working so far. It’s very painful.” 

Dr Helmut Marko, the director of Red Bull’s ferocious junior programme, has apparently put his arm around the youngster. But the Austrian’s sizeable frame is just another weight on Kvyat’s burdened mind. And it could be about to get even worse.

It was thought he would lose the seat at the end of the year anyway, but there are now rumours he could be replaced by Toro Rosso in time for the next race in Belgian at the end of the month. Two demotions – well, one demotion and then a total sacking – in the space of four months would be an unwelcome new low for a sport and a team with a reputation for making and breaking careers at an extraordinarily young age.

Photo / Mark Thompson, Getty Images

Some will remember Jaime Alguersuari, at the time of his debut in 2009 the youngest driver ever. Like many others, he was not given much time and saw his racing career effectively over by the age of 21. The Spaniard now works full-time as a DJ under the stage name “Squire”, and thankfully is making a success of it too.

Formula One has history with lost talents. Stretching back in the 1980s, New Zealander Mike Thackwell was supposed to be the next big thing. Yet he made just two starts before taking on a host of jobs, from English teacher to gold miner. Thackwell is now 55 and is thought to be a surfer on the south coast of England.

The much-vaunted McLaren Autosport BRDC Award has also had surprisingly little success in powering young drivers to Formula One. David Coulthard (1989) and Jenson Button (1998) are the biggest names to have taken the gong, but of the last 15 winners, just one – Paul di Resta – has made it to motorsport’s premier category.

That said, not all failed young drivers struggle too badly. The man who failed to qualify for the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix? A certain Bernard Charles Ecclestone. It worked out for him.

Somehow I doubt we will say the same about Kvyat. Someone come to that man’s aide. We should be concerned for his mental health, not his ruined racing career.