Nyck de Vries and Mercedes, the story is over
Nyck de Vries and Mercedes have been collaborating for 3 seasons. Recruited by the German team after winning the F2 championship in 2019, this collaboration led to a Formula E world drivers' championship for Nyck de Vries and a constructor's title for Mercedes. After the first free practice session of the Mexican Grand Prix, the Dutch driver bid farewell to the German team.
Formula 2 champion in 2019, after four seasons in the discipline, Nyck de Vries seemed to be at a dead end as he couldn’t make it to Formula 1 and his future at the top of motorsports was uncertain. However, that was until Mercedes took the young Dutch hopeful under its wing and hired him for Formula E. This new adventure quickly bore fruit, as he secured the title in his second season in the discipline. Next season, he will compete in his first Formula 1 season, with AlphaTauri.
Even though he was involved in other disciplines than Formula 1, the Dutch driver remained present in the F1 paddock and was always close to Toto Wolff in the Mercedes garage. He also participated in numerous simulator sessions and free practice sessions for customer teams of the German manufacturer. During the 2022 season, Nyck de Vries is the only driver to have driven for Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Williams. As a reserve driver during the Monza Grand Prix, he was able to participate in his first F1 race, brilliantly replacing Alex Albon. It was this impressive performance in Italy that allowed him to secure a full-time position at AlphaTauri in 2023, giving Pierre Gasly the opportunity to move to Alpine.
The first free practice sessions of the Mexican Grand Prix were therefore the last time Nyck de Vries was evolving under the Mercedes wing. He did not hold back his emotions and shared his impressions at the end of this free practice session that marks the end of 3 years of close collaboration: “We finished it well, I enjoyed the session, we had three great years together.”
But no time to rest for the new recruit of AlphaTauri, who is already looking towards the rest of his career.
But we had a great time together and I am very grateful for all the opportunities that the team has given me. I have learned a lot, built personal relationships within the team, and the relationship is still good. So I am simply grateful for that, and now I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter of my career.
