Nyck de Vries has finally managed to find his way into the F1 grid as he gears up for his rookie season. A golden opportunity opened up for him when Alex Albon was ruled out of the 2022 Italian GP and he filled in for the Williams driver.
After managing to score points on his F1 debut with just two days of preparation, AlphaTauri was impressed. The Faenza-based squad offered de Vries a seat, and he will drive for them alongside Yuki Tsunoda in 2023. However, when one comes into F1, there are a lot of off-track responsibilities they have to keep in mind.
This includes knowing what to say, and what not to say. Unfortunately, de Vries ended up making a mistake while talking to journalists which a partner did not appreciate. He was talking about his jumpsuit, which had apparently shrunk after he gave it a wash. The Dutch driver labeled it as a problem, and their manufacturer AlpineStars did not take this comment lightly.
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Nyck de Vries says that the press misinterpreted his comments
According to de Vries, he did not mean to slander AlpineStars and the comment he made came out in a very different way. However, the 28-year-old acknowledges the fact that now that he is in F1, he has to be careful about what he says in front of the media.
The former Mercedes junior driver admitted that he has to learn how to be more aware of the press since there are many people who are following him and listening to whatever he says.
On the other hand, he labeled himself as a very open person and insisted that it won’t change.
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What are AlphaTauri’s chances in 2023
AlphaTauri had a woeful 2022 season where they finished P9 ahead of Williams. Ahead of this campaign, de Vries remains cautiously optimistic about their chances. The Dutchman feels that the midfield is very close, but they have to be on top of their game if they are to be in the mix for points in the opening race in Bahrain.
While talking about midfield teams, he mentioned two teams who have moved in different directions over the winter break. He praised Aston Martin for the pace they showed during pre-season, but also pointed out McLaren’s flaw, hinting that they are going to struggle in 2023.
