Nyck de Vries crowned champion

Nyck de Vries will be able to calmly approach the last event of the season, which will take place in Abu Dhabi. Indeed, the Dutch driver succeeded in securing his Formula 2 championship title by finishing first in the long race of the Russian Grand Prix.

By securing pole position, he started his Russian weekend in the best possible way, thanks to an ideal start ensuring his position at the first corner. Starting on soft tires, he stopped as early as the sixth lap to switch to hard tires and kept his cool to ultimately regain his lead position at the end of the race. He climbed to the top step of the podium for the fourth time this season, accompanied by Nicholas Latifi in 2nd place and Louis Delétraz in 3rd. Thanks to this victory, he extends his lead over his rival Nicholas Latifi to 72 points at the end of this race weekend in Russia, thus sealing the fate of this F2 season.

This driver champion title also allows the ART Grand Prix team to secure 3rd place in the constructors’ standings. Nyck de Vries alone brought in 266 points out of the 276 collected by the French team.

This 2019 season was therefore one of redemption for him. After a botched 2018 edition with the Prema Powerteam, which had previously crowned Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc, the 24-year-old driver needed to bounce back.

Last year, I was in a position to fight for the title, but the championship was very tough with everyone who got promoted to Formula 1. I really consider myself responsible for missing out on the real battle, simply because I made too many mistakes at the beginning of the season in positions or situations where we were in a position to score big points. We then find ourselves in difficulty from the start. » stated Nyck de Vries in the columns of Motorsport.com

If his 2019 season is a success, assuming his status as a favorite from the start, it will likely not allow him to join a Formula 1 team.

Former McLaren driver, the team did not believe in his ability to make a mark in Formula 2, preferring the English driver Lando Norris. While Alex Albon’s example shows that one should never give up on the possibility of joining F1, Nyck de Vries will turn to Formula E next season. Thus, it is with Mercedes EQ and former Formula 1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne that Nyck de Vries is expected to write the next chapter of his career.

Of course, I decided to take a different path for my career, but I am very happy with this opportunity and, at the same time, grateful to have at least been able to check this box. No one can ever take that away from me. He recently stated in the press.

Outside his single-seater career, he also thrives in endurance racing. Indeed, he participated this weekend in the 6 Hours of Fuji with the Racing Team Nederland team. The crew, consisting of Giedo Van der Garde, Frits Van Eerd (amateur driver), and Nyck de Vries, delivered a remarkable performance by winning the LMP2 category with the ORECA 07 #29.

This victory is noteworthy as it marks the team’s first appearance on the top step of the podium in its category.

The new Formula 2 champion has demonstrated all his driving skills, especially in the rain. He delivered impressive times, particularly during his second stint, sometimes flirting with the times set by the LMP1s. The Toyota team had already noticed the talent of the young Nyck de Vries; he will be on track with the Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1 for some testing in mid-December at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain.

It’s now up to him to prove himself and make an impression on the star-studded team, as a place in Formula 1 is never to be excluded.