From 2023 onwards, we’ll finally see 2 Dutch drivers on the F1 grid after 18 years. Defending champion Max Verstappen will be joined by fellow Dutchman and old pal Nyck De Vries on the F1 grid.
De Vries’s convincing F1 debut in Monza brought him to the limelight. The Dutchman was asked to replace Alex Albon at the last minute after the Williams driver developed appendicitis.
In his first-ever race, Nyck qualified P13 fighting his way to Q2. He finished the race with a solid P9, learning points and the recommendation of Verstappen to join Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri.
Since his 2019 F2 win, De Vries has long awaited an opportunity to race in F1. And after 3 seasons on the sidelines, he will be racing as a full-time driver in 2023.
Verstappen wasn’t clear about Nyck De Vries’ role with Mercedes
After the 2022 Italian GP, Max Verstappen went out for a dinner with his dad Jos and Nyck De Vries. Max has known Nyck since their karting days, so the two friends went out to celebrate.
De Vries narrated the incident in the new ‘TauriTalk’ podcast. Inevitably the subject of De Vries’s future broke. De Vries was a reserve driver of Mercedes and his contract with the Silver Arrows was set to expire at the end of the season.
Verstappen hinted that there might be a vacancy at AlphaTauri if Pierre Gasly leaves. But the Dutchman was unsure if De Vries would leave Mercedes, or if his employer would block the move.
He added, “I was still perceived publicly as a Mercedes driver. And it was important to clarify I was only part of Mercedes until the end of 2022 in order to not miss out on any opportunity.”
After convincing Max regarding his position, the 2-time World Champion advised Nyck to call Helmut Marko. And the rest is history!
Max Verstappen turned down an offer to join Mercedes
Like Nyck De Vries, Max Verstappen too has an old association with the Mercedes F1 team. The Dutchman turned declined the offer from the Silver Arrows to join their Driver Academy.
After a strong 2014 F3 campaign, Mercedes approached the Dutchman with an exciting offer. The team were willing to induct the youngster into their Driver academy.
Verstappen had lengthy talks with Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff, but he wasn’t pleased with their offer. Mercedes were only willing to give him a fully paid GP2 seat or an F1 Test Driver role.
Max simultaneously received an offer from Red Bull who promised him a racing seat with Toro Rosso in 2015. He gladly accepted the offer, becoming the youngest driver to start a World Championship race at the age of 17.
Red Bull and Mercedes regularly battle for wins and titles. But we can only imagine what force Mercedes could have been had they signed Verstappen.
