2023 seems to have finally taken a positive turn for former AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries. The Dutchman saw himself axed only ten races into the season after being constantly outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Following his axing, Daniel Ricciardo stepped up to fill his seat, but an unfortunate crash saw Liam Lawson take up driving duties alongside Tsunoda. Having mostly stayed away from media attention since his sack, good news has finally come de Vries’ way as The Race reports he has secured a spot in Formula E for Mahindra Racing.
Competing in his rookie season in F1, de Vries failed to impress his employers even once. As a result, Red Bull ‘brutally’ let him go mid-season. Putting the heartbreak aside, de Vries will now be coming back ‘home’ to Formula E with Mahindra, where he started his racing career with the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team alongside Stoffel Vandoorne.
Nyck de Vries back to where it all started for him
In 2019, Mercedes’ Formula E team announced the signing of Nyck de Vries as their second driver for the 2020 season. After finishing 11th in his debut season, the Dutchman made a strong comeback the following year and won his first ePrix in the season opener in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. After a failed Formula One career three years later, de Vries has the opportunity to go back to racing in the Formula E circuit, but this time with a new employer.
The Race reports Mahindra Racing have officially signed Nyck de Vries as their driver alongside Edoardo Mortara. While de Vries won his first-ever Formula E world championship in the 2020-21 season with 99 points, Mortara finished vice-champion, 7 points behind. As such, the belief is that Mahindra Racing has secured a strong driver lineup as they look for a massive overhaul in their entire setup.
Mahindra Racing has long been one of the most uncompetitive teams in the all-electric racing circuit, owing mostly to their unimpressive Mahindra M9Elctro (Gen3) car. Team Principal Frederic Bertrand has plans to build a new structure for the 2025 season when the team will introduce the variant.
Despite the Gen3 being the least competitive car on the grid, de Vries is happy with the chance as he looks forward to returning to racing full-time.
Vries excited about his future with Mahindra Racing
Despite not being one of the strongest teams on the grid, the Indian racing team has big plans for the future, and de Vries is excited to be a part of it. Speaking of the news, the Dutchman said (via Crash.net), “It’s really exciting to be joining such a major automotive manufacturer as Mahindra and to represent them in Formula E. I’m particularly excited about the future plans for the team. The basis is already strong, and the team has all the attributes to succeed.”
Mahindra Racing is delighted to announce the signings of @edomortara and @nyckdevries for Season 10 and beyond.
Both drivers have signed multi-year deals with the team.
— Mahindra Racing (@MahindraRacing) September 27, 2023
Adding to his statement, the 28-year-old said going back to Formula E was like going back home for him. He looks forward to being back in a familiar environment and to a place where he has always enjoyed racing. The Dutchman hopes he can be vital in the process of turning Mahindra Racing’s fate around while also eventually vying to secure another championship.
