Nyck de Vries could be heading towards a new opportunity in motorsport following his departure from Formula 1. Reports indicate that the first team is already showing interest in securing his services.
De Vries, who joined AlphaTauri at the start of the season after an impressive substitute stint with Williams in 2022, struggled to match the performance of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, failing to score a single point in the opening 10 races of the season. This led to a challenging situation for the Dutch driver, prompting discussions within the team about potential alternatives.
Red Bull moves fast to remove de Vries
Red Bull Team Principal, Christian Horner, has shed light on the decision to replace Nyck de Vries with Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri, citing a series of underwhelming performances by the Dutch driver as the primary reason. In a recent appearance on the F1 Nation podcast, Horner revealed the timeline of events that led to the driver swap.
While acknowledging De Vries’ experience, Horner expressed the sense that he was not meeting the team’s expectations, which prompted them to consider other options. From Red Bull Racing’s perspective, Daniel Ricciardo emerged as the most intriguing choice. The decision to bring in the Australian driver was made swiftly, and he was confirmed for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The timing of De Vries’ notification about the change was sooner than expected, with Horner mentioning that Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, spoke with De Vries during the test sessions.
“It all happened a little quicker than expected, bearing in mind that we hadn’t completed the test,” Horner revealed. “Helmut spoke with Nyck, and he was the one that obviously had recruited him. He was the one that spoke with Nyck about lap 11 of the test, I think.”
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No home GP for de Vries
Regarding the possibility of De Vries participating in his home race at Zandvoort before being replaced, Horner explained that the decision to move forward with the driver change was motivated by the desire to give Ricciardo a full 12 races to showcase his capabilities.
“It’s very difficult. That would have meant obviously leaving him in the car until after the summer break,” Horner said.
“I think the situation was clear. It was a question of, okay, what’s the point in waiting? If we’ve got to do something, we might as well get on with it and give Daniel 12 races to see what he’s capable of.”
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New opportunities for de Vries
Nyck de Vries could be heading towards a new opportunity in motorsport following his departure from Formula 1. Reports indicate that the first team is already showing interest in securing his services as potential suitors have emerged for the talented Dutch driver.
Formula 1: Williams calling?
Nyck de Vries’ future in Formula One appears uncertain, but there is a glimmer of hope as Williams could be a potential destination. The team’s rookie driver, Logan Sargeant, has struggled similarly to De Vries, and compared to his teammate Albon, his performance could be considered even worse.
Williams’ Team Principal, James Vowles, has a history with De Vries from their time together at Mercedes, where the Dutch driver was part of the driver program and went on to win the Formula E championship for the German automotive brand.
It is believed that Vowles holds a high opinion of De Vries and may be considering him as a potential replacement for Sargeant by the end of the season.
Despite the uncertainty, De Vries remains well-connected in the Formula One community. Shortly after his dismissal, he was seen having lunch with Toto Wolff in Monaco and enjoying time swimming off the Cote D’Azur with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. These connections could prove valuable as he explores his options for the future.
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Nissan approach de Vries
According to sources, Nissan Formula E Team is among the interested parties, looking to find a replacement for Norman Nato in the upcoming season. Nyck de Vries, who previously clinched the 2020/21 Formula E World Championship, has caught the attention of Nissan’s Formula E Team Principal, Tommaso Volpe.
While acknowledging De Vries’ credentials as a world champion, Volpe remained cautious in confirming any specific plans. He stated, “He’s of interest as one of the drivers available for next season. He is interesting as a world champion, but I cannot confirm what we are doing.”
In the quest to fill the seat, Nyck de Vries may be considered alongside another promising contender, Oliver Rowland. As the talks continue, fans eagerly await the official announcement from Nissan about their driver lineup for the upcoming season.
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