Mercedes is open to a return from Nyck de Vries
Mercedes would like Nyck de Vries to return as a simulator driver. The driver is also attracting interest from WEC and Formula E teams.
Nyck de Vries was fired from the AlphaTauri team before the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Dutch Formula E world champion driver is said to be of interest to Mercedes for a possible return as a reserve driver, according to Andrew Shovlin, engineer for the German team.
Nyck de Vries was already under the umbrella of the team led by Toto Wolff between 2019 and 2022 as the reserve driver, as well as a Formula E driver. He also served as a reserve driver for other teams powered by Mercedes, notably Williams. According to the engineer, Nyck de Vries does not seek to return to the role of simulator driver.
(I) “I think Nyck will not only aim to become a simulator driver, but he will also want to participate in races. He has certainly been very useful to us in this role, and we would be delighted to have him back in this position. However, I think he will focus on finding race seats,” said Andrew Shovlin during the Hungarian GP.
The engineer praises the Dutch pilot. « If it’s not in Formula 1, it will be in another important and competitive series. He is clearly very talented: a champion in F2, a champion in Formula E, which is a very difficult series to win. He will seek to find a winning seat, says the British engineer.
A return to Formula E could be considered by the driver with 10 F1 races this season. The Nissan team is considering recruiting Nyck de Vries for the electric single-seater championship. Another category of motorsport that could welcome the 28-year-old driver is Toyota Gazoo Racing, as they are reportedly inquiring about his services for the WEC championship. He was supposed to participate in the WEC season this year but chose to prioritize F1. Therefore, a return to Toyota is also possible.
