Nyck de Vries, after several attempts, is finally in Formula 1. Thanks to Red Bull, who finally decided to get him from Mercedes’ camp and give him a shot in their sister team— AlphaTauri.
The Dutch race driver replaced the Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly after his impressive performance with Williams in Monza. That aroused several teams’ interest in him.
But one phone call with Helmut Marko, pushed by Max Verstappen, sealed de Vries’ fate in F1. And now, he reflects on the days when he had to struggle hard to achieve his dream finally.
My father sold everything
Behind every F1 driver, especially those who aren’t from wealthy families, there are major hardships their families face. The 2019 F2 champion reveals how his father made the ultimate sacrifice to dedicate his entire time to the new F1 champion.
“Cars have always been part of my family’s DNA, with my great grandfather originally starting the dealerships and my father eventually ending up running them. My father sold everything, though, to be able to put all his time and effort into me and my racing career,” said de Vries to Q&A with AlphaTauri.
He claims that his motorsport career is not only his alone. His father shares similar aspirations and dedication in making him reach where he is right now.
Can’t wait to race in the Dutch GP
After Verstappen, de Vries will be the second Dutch driver on the current grid. With the Dutch Grand Prix becoming one of the biggest F1 attractions due to the colossal support of the current world champion, de Vries is too excited to race amidst his home crowd.
a big year ahead for our new recruit @nyckdevries! 👊 pic.twitter.com/CuhM8o6TTj
— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) January 10, 2023
The Oranje army is among the largest crowds at Zandvoort, and having two home drivers competing for the energy drink company would only boost their support for them.
De Vries will be pairing with Yuki Tsunoda for the 2023 campaign. While the $5 million worth of the F1 driver is bigger in age than Tsunoda, the latter has more experience in F1 machinery and AlphaTauri. So he is likely to play the leadership role in the team.
The Japanese race driver has stated that the faster driver should lead the team in the season. Thus, it opens the gates for intra-team competition, meaning even his teammate is a target for him.
Also read: Lewis Hamilton warned that Max Verstappen has room for improvement as he eyes 2023 title battle
