AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries has been under severe pressure since making his F1 debut, because of his incredibly underwhelming performances. Despite F1 reaching the halfway point of the 2023 season, the Dutchman has still not scored a point to open his account. And as the scrutiny over his future continues, Ralf Schumacher has no doubt that Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has already sacked him.
Marko, who is Red Bull’s chief advisor, seems extremely unhappy with De Vries and has left no stone unturned in slamming him. While speaking to Sky Germany after the British GP qualifying session, Marko took a dig at De Vries while commenting on Sergio Perez’s performance.
after a difficult double-header, we focus on the next round of back-to-back races 👊#BritishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/VWHclBj1lw
— Scuderia AlphaTauri (@AlphaTauriF1) July 10, 2023
“There’s no one available who could replace Perez. He performs well in the races, in contrast to Nyck de Vries,” explained Marko. With De Vries once again failing to score points at the British GP, Marko revealed that AlphaTauri may consider replacing him with Daniel Ricciardo later this season.
Marko said that with the tire test set to take place on Tuesday, Red Bull will evaluate Ricciardo’s performance. Hence, it seems that there is a possibility that De Vries may not even get the opportunity to compete in his home Grand Prix in Zandvoort on August 27.
Schumacher claims “it’s a shame” Marko will sack Nyck De Vries
While giving his thoughts on Sky Germany, Ralf Schumacher claimed that he is certain that the decision to sack Nyck de Vries has already been finalized. Schumacher then added, “It’s a shame for him that he probably can’t drive Zandvoort,” which is the Dutchman’s home race.
Schumacher then went onto add that AlphaTauri can now consider replacing De Vries with Daniel Ricciardo. He believes that such a move would make sense for the team as the Australian has the experience to help the side progress in the right direction. Even though Schumacher has suggested that Ricciardo is a good option, other reports such as Grand Prix Plus claim that AlphaTauri are more keen on signing Liam Lawson.
Introducing the honey badger 🍯🦡
Daniel Ricciardo made his #F1 debut 12 years ago today at Silverstone 🙌#BritishGP @danielricciardo pic.twitter.com/Zv7A99fSia
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 10, 2023
Irrespective of who AlphaTauri decides to replace De Vries with, it seems that the Dutchman’s fate has already been sealed. This became even more evident when Marko refused to confirm whether the 28-year-old will have an opportunity to take part in his home race or not.
Moreover, since Red Bull has also sacked drivers mid-season previously, it will not come as a surprise if they continue the trend with De Vries once again. And it is pertinent to note that De Vries is not the only driver currently in danger of losing his seat.
Sergio Perez could also be on his way out
Following the conclusion of the British Grand Prix, questions arose about Sergio Perez’s form once again, after he failed to qualify for Q3 for the fifth race in a row. The Mexican has had a disastrous run recently and has fallen a whopping 99 points behind Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen in the championship.
Despite Perez’s struggles, Helmut Marko has stated that the 33-year-old’s seat is not in danger. As quoted by motorsport-total.com, Marko said, “His position is not at risk at all“. Despite Marko’s comments, doubts still persist over Perez’s future as he continues to underperform, and there is a huge risk that he could follow Nyck de Vries on the way out.
If Red Bull does decide to replace Perez, Daniel Ricciardo seems the only plausible option because of the experience he brings. Moreover, Ricciardo himself admitted that he wants to return to the F1 grid for the 2024 season. It will be interesting to see if Red Bull does consider signing him or not. And if they do sign him, then the bigger question would be about who would Red Bull replace: Perez or De Vries.
