Max Verstappen Defends Fellow Dutchman Nyck De Vries’ Poor Performances Amidst Harsh Helmut Marko Criticism

Dutch AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries has been under a lot of pressure lately. Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko talked about how he regrets signing him, and how Christian Horner never wanted him in the first place. However, two-time world champion and compatriot Max Verstappen recently extended a hand of support to de Vries, which would be a relief for him amidst all the chaos.

de Vries has a wealth of experience under his belt. He won the F2 title in 2019 and the Formula E championship a couple of years later. However, his stint in F1 hasn’t worked out yet. Marko found him to be a good fit after his impressive debut for Williams in 2022. Team principal Christian Horner, however, didn’t want him to be a part of the AlphaTauri seat. In a recent interview, Marko admitted that Horner was right and that he should have listened to him.

It is an understandably difficult time for de Vries. With a legion of Red Bull youngsters and even experienced Daniel Ricciardo on the sidelines, his place is under threat. There are rumors too, about him being replaced mid-season. Max Verstappen, however, decided to calm his fellow Dutchman’s nerves ahead of this weekend’s Austrian GP.

Max Verstappen asks Nyck de Vries to not stress too much

Verstappen acknowledged the fact that in F1, a driver always has to be at their best if they want to keep their place. If a driver is going through a slump, it is also extremely difficult to bring oneself out of it. However, according to Verstappen, listening to what people say and letting it affect their performance is something that people must avoid.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what people above you say,” the Red Bull star said as per Race Fans. “It’s about how then you learn from your weekends, learn from your mistakes like we all do. Just get on top of the car a little bit more, feel a bit more comfortable.”

yuki & nyck uʍop ǝpısdn  🔃 pic.twitter.com/CNZNj1Z3sS

— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) June 29, 2023

Verstappen went on to ask de Vries not to stress too much about what people away from the track are saying. Working hard, and spending time together with people who can actually make a difference is key to him rediscovering his form. Because as Verstappen said, de Vries has a lot of experience to get himself out of the sticky situation he is in.

de Vries under threat from Daniel Ricciardo

Earlier this season, it was revealed that Daniel Ricciardo will take part in a three-day test in Silverstone. He will drive the RB-19 during a Pirelli tire test. Unfortunately for De Vries, Helmut Marko said that he will be assessing Ricciardo’s performance, and consider him for a seat in the near future.

🚨| Daniel Ricciardo will be testing the Pirelli tyres for three days after the Silverstone GP.

Although the team says that Perez’s position is safe, it will be a good opportunity to see Ausie’s pace on the Red Bull car. pic.twitter.com/XqSJa3duHN

— Formula World (@Formula_World__) June 24, 2023

Whether Red Bull will make de Vries vacate the AlphaTauri seat or not is yet to be seen. However, this is something that Red Bull have done in the past with many of their drivers.

Heading into the Austrian GP, Nyck de Vries will be hoping to make a statement performance. He will be looking to score his first points of the season, as he is in P19 with zero points. The only other driver who hasn’t opened their account yet is Williams’ Logan Sargeant.