Nyck de Vries is not following the example of Max Verstappen. Where the Formula One driver has chosen the starting number #1 after winning his world title, De Vries lets that opportunity slip by.
De Vries will start the 2022 Formula E season as the reigning world champion. In the last race of the season he took the world title, after already having won some nice step-up classes like Formula 2 and the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0. Nevertheless, De Vries will not choose start number #1.
De Vries stays with his own number
De Vries explained to Motorsport.com that he is sticking to his starting number #17 because it is part of 'the story of the team'. Mercedes' Formula E team is officially called Mercedes EQ, where EQ stands for intelligent electric mobility. Stoffel will therefore drive with start number #5 which equals the fifth letter in the alphabet, namely the 'E'. De Vries continues to drive with number seventeen because that equals the letter 'Q'.
Although it is partly for his team, the born-Frisian also says he would not have liked to drive with start number #1 himself. The FE-season starts January 28 in Saudi Arabia, with two races in a row.