Nyck de Vries: how much time does he have left?
Eight races have passed since the beginning of this season, and Nyck de Vries still hasn't scored any points. AlphaTauri, despite experiencing great difficulties in 2023, could really use them. Yuki Tsunoda has contributed the only 2 points for the Faenza team.
The 2021 Formula E world champion surely did not expect such a start to the season. After a triumphant arrival at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza last year when he replaced Alex Albon, finishing in 9th place, Nyck de Vries had caught the attention of some team bosses.
Following Pierre Gasly’s departure to Alpine, AlphaTauri seized the opportunity by signing the Dutchman. However, for now, the first third of the season is far from ideal, if not catastrophic. Certainly a rookie in Formula 1, Nyck de Vries has experience in motorsport. However, he has been unable to capitalize on it in 2023. The question everyone is asking is: how much time does he have left?
Nyck de Vries could be a victim of the uncompromising nature of Red Bull’s “parent team”.
Everyone knows: AlphaTauri is the “sister team” of Red Bull. It often provides opportunities for young drivers from the Red Bull junior program to enter Formula 1. However, Nyck de Vries is not really a driver from this program. AlphaTauri saw him mainly as an experienced and talented driver.
And on paper, it was difficult to predict otherwise before the start of the season: Nyck de Vries is the Formula E world champion and had a fantastic appearance in Formula 1 last year. However, his start to the season is extremely challenging, being the only driver, along with Logan Sargeant, who has not scored any points in the championship.
For a team the size of AlphaTauri, it is necessary to score points as it brings sponsors and money, which are essential for the development of the car. It’s a sort of virtuous cycle. However, while Yuki Tsunoda is having a solid start to the season despite the poor performance of his car, the same cannot be said for his Dutch teammate. Red Bull could well add its little grain of salt to all of this by putting even more pressure on De Vries, risking making him crack and having to replace him.
So of course, he is still a rookie. And despite his experience in other categories, Formula 1 is completely different, unique. A driver can succeed in all categories of motorsports without necessarily being the best in Formula 1. Look at Antonio Giovinazzi: removed from the premier category due to weak performances, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans a few weeks ago with Ferrari. Nyck de Vries may be a world champion, but Formula E is nothing like Formula 1. Even though he should be given more time to develop, Red Bull and AlphaTauri may not be considering that. So yes, Nyck de Vries is already in danger.
In the Red Bull program, many can claim to deserve this seat
The Red Bull young driver program is not short of talent. Even though they are still young, they could be propelled into Formula 1 faster than expected. Just a reminder, Max Verstappen joined the sport at the age of 17, even participating in some sessions before that in 2014. Some may still be far from Formula 1, but others are closer.
Liam Lawson, for example. The New Zealander is currently in the Super Formula, a major single-seater championship in Japan. After finishing 3rd in the Formula 2 championship last year, he is there to develop himself in a different environment. He is also currently a reserve driver for Red Bull and has already had some test runs in the car last year. He may be the most capable of challenging Nyck de Vries for the seat at AlphaTauri. But he is not the only one.
Another young driver stands ready: Ayumu Iwasa, current Formula 2 driver competing for the title. Strong since the beginning of the season, he has had a slight dip in performance in recent races, but shows a potential that could make him a future Formula 1 driver. The rest of the Formula 2 season will provide more details on the Japanese driver and his ability to compete in the pinnacle category of motorsport.
Finally, Isack Hadjar can also become a significant factor in the Formula 1 seat race. The young Frenchman showed great talent in Formula 3 last year, and Red Bull has decided to have him race in Formula 2 in 2023. Despite a fair amount of bad luck, he demonstrates qualities, and Helmut Marko has repeatedly stated that Hadjar is more than a serious candidate for Formula 1.
One thing seems certain, the next few months will be decisive. As much for Nyck de Vries as for the young talents in the program.
