Nyck de Vries was heavily linked with a move to Formula 1 during the summer break. The Dutchman is said to be negotiating with Alfa Romeo Racing, but with the announcement of Guanyu Zhou it has become clear that we will not see the 26-year old from Sneek on the grid of the premier class of motor sport in 2022.
It seems likely that De Vries will stay with Mercedes' works team in Formula E and try to defend his world title there. There is also a good chance that he will once again be a test and reserve driver for the German F1 team. However, there is no certainty yet.
De Vries recently said he still hopes to make his debut at the highest level. There were not many chances this year, because very soon there were only two spots left. Williams chose Alexander Albon as a replacement for George Russell, while Alfa Romeo Racing opted for the millions in sponsorship money of Zhou.
Zhou will be the only rookie on the grid next year. Indeed, Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin, Haas F1, AlphaTauri and Alpine have all opted to go into next season with the 2021 line-up as well.