Only five Grands Prix have passed since Nyck De Vries began his career in Formula 1 as a factory driver. Given his long experience in other categories, as well as that accumulated as a reserve driver of some teams in the top series, expectations towards the Dutchman were very high, perhaps even more than those that generally weigh on the shoulders of a rookie .
If the past year with that top ten in Monza as a last second substitute had conquered the top positions of some teams, so much so as to offer him a contract for 2023, in these first five weekends the twenty-eight year old has not managed to collect the desired results. finding himself against his will in that unpleasant situation of having to answer uncomfortable questions.
Doubts about the future that have taken on even more importance after the rumors of a possible changeover with an old acquaintance of the world championship, Daniel Ricciardo, who at the beginning of the month would have gone to the factory in Faenza to complete the operations related to the manufacture of the seat in the event of need.
Nyck de Vries, AlphaTauri AT04
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull consultant and Academy supervisor Helmut Marko reportedly set next month’s Spanish GP as a deadline to see de Vries improve, even though these indications had come before the cancellation of the Emilia GP. Romagna, unfortunately affected by the flood. It’s no secret that Red Bull doesn’t wait long for its talents but, at the same time, the haste imposed on the Dutchman has left us almost taken aback.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Monaco race, de Vries addressed rumors about his status within the team by trying to lighten the flames, although he didn’t hide that it wasn’t a shock to hear certain rumors.
“Yes (I feel confident in my place). Also, it’s not a shock to me. It’s normal. In Red Bull and in Formula 1 it’s always been like this. You always have to give your best, you always have to do your best. It’s It’s been like this throughout my career,” the Dutchman told the media.
“As a driver, you always have to fight for your survival and you always have to get results to successfully continue your career. It’s normal. It’s always been like this.”
Nyck de Vries, AlphaTauri AT04
Photo by: Jake Grant / Motorsport Images
With so many rumors surrounding his future, the question has been raised whether the pressure on De Vries could be even greater, with him needing to prove he’s up to speed in a short time. Again, the Dutchman tried to calm things down, suggesting that he doesn’t feel more pressure than in other moments of his career: “You may not believe me, but I don’t think there is more pressure than in other moments. The only difference in F1 is that there is more chatter, especially when there are long breaks. But in general, everyone has to push and bring results, that’s normal.”
“If I do my job on the track, I know I will continue my career successfully. I’ve always lived like this and how things go”, added the AlphaTauri driver.
His debut was not noteworthy, and this is an undeniable fact, difficult to counter. An aspect of which de Vries himself is aware, who has not hidden that he is not satisfied with his performance in this first part of the championship: “The first part of the season didn’t satisfy me on a personal level and I also understand why he may not have satisfied the group, we always want to do better. I am aware of my mistakes and I want to do better. I can’t say I’m satisfied.”
An element that weighed heavily are undoubtedly the mistakes made on the track, which weigh not only on the results but also on the budget available to the team. Something De Vries is trying to work on, although he is aware that they are part of the learning process: “Personally I think I’m making too many mistakes, I’m very open about that.”
Stewards remove Nyck de Vries’ car, AlphaTauri AT04, from the circuit
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“I also think the pace was good in some rounds and that encourages me, it gives me confidence, but I wasn’t able to finish in the end. But I think there’s speed, but still I make too many mistakes. It’s part of the process of learning, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. We are all human, we make mistakes but we carry on”, added the bearer of the Faenza team.
De Vries is currently in the lowest zone of the world championship standings, in an almost opposite situation to that of his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, who managed to pick up some points thanks to some good performances. According to the Dutchman, there are clearly differences in terms of riding styles, as the Japanese had already highlighted a few weeks ago, but dividing the two would above all be a matter of consistency: “Every rider has his own style and you can spot differences. In general, it’s more a matter of consistency,” added De Vries.
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