“Feels like Max Verstappen is my big brother”: Nyck de Vries opens up about his relationship with 2-time World Champion after joining AlphaTauri

Max Verstappen is arguably the most in-form driver in F1 today. He won two back to World Championships in 2021 and 2022 and is widely expected to challenge for the Title once again if Red Bull provides him with a good car. Last year in particular was completely dominated by the 25-year-old.

However, there were quite a few other memorable moments we witnessed in 2022. One of those included Nyck de Vries’ F1 debut at the Italian GP. The Dutch driver has been a Mercedes reserve driver for a long time but despite winning the F2 and Formula E Championships, he never got his lucky break in F1. That was until Williams’ Alex Albon got appendicitis ahead of the race in Monza last year and de Vries replaced him in the race.

CONFIRMED! Nyck de Vries WILL be on the grid in 2023 as he joins AlphaTauri! 📝 pic.twitter.com/ZSIo1y1APG

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 8, 2022

De Vries shocked everyone by finishing P9 in the race and scoring points on his debut with Williams. At that moment, AlphaTauri was looking for a new driver to complete their 2023 lineup and it was soon announced that the 27-year-old would join them in 2023.

Also read: Lewis Hamilton warned that Max Verstappen has room for improvement as he eyes 2023 title battle

Nyck de Vries talks about how much he respects Max Verstappen

After Verstappen, de Vries will become the second driver from the Netherlands in F1 from 2023 onwards. Despite being two years older than the former, de Vries labeled Verstappen as a ‘big brother’ in the F1 paddock. This is because of the wealth of experience Verstappen has under his belt at the relatively young age of 25.

“We’re obviously from the same country, speak the same language and we just get along,” de Vries said in an interview with AlphaTauri’s official website. “The first time we actually raced together was in Monza last year. And we happened to be next to each other on the grid. So that was amazing.”

De Vries is ready for FP3… and his Grand Prix debut weekend 👊#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/aDlAEYamON

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 10, 2022

“Despite the fact that I’m older, it almost feels like Max is my big brother within the Formula 1 paddock. He’s obviously achieved a lot and has so much experience already.”

Also read: After amassing $107,600 for fundraiser Nico Rosberg gave away his high-performance bike to random fan

Pierre Gasly was first to congratulate de Vries on securing AlphaTauri seat

De Vries’ entry into the F1 world has been a long time coming. He had to wait patiently for several years, but now he finally has his shot, which is a huge moment for himself and his family. Out of all the people who knew about his AlphaTauri contract, de Vries revealed that Gasly was the first to congratulate him.

“Actually once the contract was signed Pierre was the first person I spoke to!” he added. “He FaceTimed me. Whilst I was in the gym to congratulate me, which was really nice.”

De Vries will team up alongside Japanese youngster Yuki Tsunoda this season. The Dutchman will have one eye on Sergio Perez’s Red Bull seat with the Mexican’s contract set to expire next year.