Daniel Ricciardo in Faenza, false pressure on Nyck de Vries

While Nyck de Vries is going through a difficult phase with AlphaTauri in his first season in F1, Daniel Ricciardo’s visit to the AlphaTauri team’s factory fuels rumors about the Dutch driver. However, Ricciardo’s presence in Faenza does not necessarily mean that a driver change is currently taking place.

Indeed, Ricciardo’s visit was nothing out of the ordinary. As part of his agreement with Red Bull for this year, where he serves as a reserve driver for Red Bull, the Australian also fulfills this role for AlphaTauri. His visit to Faenza coincided with a fitting to adjust the seat to the size of the driver.

Ricciardo has not yet driven an F1 car since he took on the role at Red Bull. His first outing at the wheel of the RB19 is set to take place during private tire tests at Silverstone, after the British Grand Prix.

But as Red Bull claims that Ricciardo has regained his form, especially thanks to the simulator, and that he has returned to his best level, he would be an obvious candidate for AlphaTauri if Red Bull’s little sister wanted to make a change.

De Vries needs to achieve better results

De Vries had a difficult baptism with the Italian team, as he has yet to score any points and has been involved in multiple accidents. His best result of the season is a 14th place in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He didn’t finish the race in Australia and Baku, and finished 18th in Miami after colliding with the rear of Lando Norris’ McLaren in the first braking zone.

For now, the team still has confidence in De Vries, with its director Franz Tost stating during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that one shouldn’t expect a beginner to not have any difficulties. As I always say, there is a learning process and a period of accidents, because if the drivers don’t have accidents, they don’t know their limits, he declared.

Although de Vries is not under immediate pressure, sources have suggested that the team management, particularly Helmut Marko, wants to see signs of progress by the next Spanish Grand Prix next month.

With a triple appointment on circuits that de Vries knows, the 28-year-old Dutchman should have a better opportunity to express his potential. These results in Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona could be crucial for his future.

He has already arrived at Toro Rosso in the past, and Red Bull, especially with Gasly, has a history of changing drivers during the season. Red Bull often lacks patience in these cases and will not hesitate if it is for the benefit of the team’s performance.

Liam Lawson, a Formula 2 driver, would also be an ideal candidate to replace Nyck de Vries if the Dutch driver fails to regain his form. Daniel Ricciardo would only be a temporary luxury option.