5 months in the past, Nyck de Vries’s hopes of a full-time racing seat in Formulation 1 regarded bleak – a lot so he was lining up a package deal that will see him dovetail a marketing campaign in Formulation E with a season within the World Endurance Championship.
Quick ahead to the right here and now, and the previous F2 and Formulation E champion has simply accomplished an intense winter season, which included a rigorous Dubai coaching camp with coach Pyry Salmela, forward of his full-time F1 debut with the AlphaTauri crew.
READ MORE: ‘I used to be one in every of his largest supporters’ – De Vries excited to crew up with Tsunoda at AlphaTauri
The turning level was his factors end as a super-sub for Alex Albon at Williams throughout the Italian Grand Prix weekend. However what pushed it over the road was him taking his good friend and two-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen’s recommendation and calling Pink Bull Motorsport Adviser Helmut Marko after that drive at Monza to attempt to make his F1 dream occur.
With Williams and Alpine then chasing his signature, and with one of many all-time nice stand-in performances in his pocket, De Vries had leverage.
He met with Marko (as he doesn’t have a supervisor and prefers to do the speaking himself) in Austria – and the 2 spent a few days informally interrogating one another.
Whereas a deal wasn’t completed there after which, the foundations had been put in place for it to occur. As soon as the formalities had been accomplished – with Pink Bull releasing Pierre Gasly a 12 months early to Alpine – the paperwork was signed and De Vries discovered himself contained in the Pink Bull household and, probably, only one step away from a seat at F1’s present dominant crew Pink Bull. It’s fairytale stuff.
Again to actuality, although, and the job forward of De Vries is huge. His efficiency in Italy was unimaginable however there have been extenuating circumstances which helped his trigger.
READ MORE: De Vries opens up on his friendship with ‘very supportive’ Verstappen forward of full-time F1 debut
Not solely did Monza’s format swimsuit De Vries’s Williams – which was very slippery in a straight line – however there have been a slew of grid penalties that flattered his beginning spot dramatically. Certain, he seized his alternative, however it’s one factor to do it as soon as, fairly one other to ship constantly.
Whereas he solely has one Grand Prix weekend underneath his belt, De Vries can name on intensive expertise garnered as a Mercedes reserve over the past two years. He’s pushed the Silver Arrows, too, in addition to having expertise behind the wheel of an Aston Martin throughout free observe and an old-spec Alpine on the Hungaroring final summer season.
He additionally has a headstart with AlphaTauri in that he accomplished a wholesome 151 laps in final 12 months’s automotive on the finish of season Abu Dhabi younger driver check. And there’ll be extra time to bolster that have, with AlphaTauri believed to be operating him at Imola and one other European monitor in previous equipment over the subsequent few weeks to sharpen him up earlier than pre-season testing.
He’ll additionally pop over from Monaco the place he lives to the crew’s base in Faenza when he can to acclimatise himself together with his new colleagues.
READ MORE: De Vries labels age ‘irrelevant’ as he prepares to contest first F1 season in his late-20s
He is already spent a good bit of time there, together with doing a seat match for his drive in final 12 months’s Abu Dhabi check. And that he speaks “first rate” Italian and may write the language to a great customary too bodes effectively for dashing up that integration with the little Italian crew. “Italians have that heat household method,” stated De Vries. “It is going to make me really feel at house.”
After AlphaTauri launch their season in New York, he’ll flip his consideration to pre-season testing, which this 12 months is simply three days in Bahrain – host of the F1 season opener the next weekend. He’ll break up operating with new crew mate Yuki Tsunoda, as is the normal technique for groups, and thus get a most of simply 12 hours (every day options eight hours of operating) of time with the 2023-spec machine earlier than race one.
It’s right here the place one in every of De Vries’s key strengths might be very important. His adaptability has been extraordinary, with these at Aston Martin, Williams, Alpine and Mercedes very impressed at how he’s in a position to rapidly become familiar with new equipment, a brand new set of controls and dealing practices, and a unique set of individuals with whom he has to share suggestions.
ANALYSIS: Why AlphaTauri recruited De Vries for 2023 – and the way Max Verstappen helped him safe the seat
He’ll flip 28 earlier than he makes his debut, which may very well be thought of ‘previous’ for a rookie – he’s seven years older than fellow rookie Oscar Piastri, who will line up alongside Lando Norris at McLaren, for instance. However it’s that life expertise – and wealth of data about competing in a number of types of motorsport and combating for World Championships – that can play in his favour.
This why his boss Franz Tost thinks De Vries will hit the bottom operating, quite than needing the three years Tost historically thinks younger drivers have to get a foothold in Formulation 1.
“Nyck has received so many races and championships, and he’s additionally measured, so he doesn’t want three years,” Tost instructed me. “He wants some checks after which he might be there – as a result of he has that have.
READ MORE: ‘The telephone simply saved going’ – De Vries particulars his whirlwind rise from super-sub to full-time F1 seat
“I at all times rated him very extremely; I couldn’t perceive why he has by no means had a seat in Formulation 1, as a result of he deserves it.”
He added: “I anticipate him to be very aggressive from the primary race onwards.”
