F1 drivers meeting football stars is not a new occurrence, as athletes of both sports have often crossed paths. On Wednesday, AlphaTauri star Nyck de Vries met one of the greatest forwards of all time, Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Milan.
F1 drivers are currently in the middle of a break, with the next race of the season scheduled to take place on the 30th of April. Every driver is spending their holiday in different ways, and De Vries chose to take this opportunity to witness a high-octane Champions League clash at the San Siro in Milan.
AC Milan was playing Napoli in the first leg of the quarterfinals and came out on top with a 1-0 victory. Ahead of this crucial tie, De Vries met Milan legend Ibrahimovic who was in the stands supporting his team. The 41-year-old is currently nursing an injury that is keeping him on the sidelines, but that didn’t stop him from traveling to the ground to cheer Milan.
De Vries posted a picture with Ibrahimovic on his social media account. “Big Ibra, pleasure to meet you! Grazie Mille AC Milan,” De Vries wrote.
“When you buy Ibrahimovic, you buy a Ferrari”
This isn’t the first time Ibrahimovic and a Formula 1 driver crossed paths. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz once offered the Swedish footballer a driving lesson around the Fiorano circuit. Sainz trusted Zlatan enough to let him go around the track on a flying lap.
As Sainz expected, Ibrahimovic put in a very good flying lap, and in classic fashion, said, “When you buy Ibrahimovic, you buy a Ferrari.” This was the former Manchester United Star’s way of saying that he is very capable of driving a Ferrari, flat out around a racing circuit.
Nyck de Vries under pressure in rookie F1 year
De Vries was in the sidelines for a long time, despite proving his talent in other racing ventures. In 2019, he won the F2 Championship and just over a year later, he won the Formula E Title. Finally, his patience paid off as AlphaTauri gave him a seat for the 2023 season.
Unfortunately, the first three races of the season have not quite gone according to plan for the Dutchman. Alongside Williams’ Logan Sargeant, he is the only driver this season who is yet to score a point. This has put De Vries under pressure as there are plenty of young stars in the Red Bull academy who could end up replacing him.
