Nyck de Vries came into action during the first free practice session at Monza on Friday. The Dutchman was allowed to enter the Aston Martin of Sebastian Vettel. Earlier he had been allowed to drive for Williams and Mercedes. De Vries continues to hope for a permanent seat in 2023 thanks to these opportunities.

De Vries is the topic of conversation during the 'silly season'. De Vries' name is on the radar in the paddock and seems to be the driver with a good chance of winning the vacant Williams seat alongside Alexander Albon.

The driver from Sneek jokes to the Dutch branch of Motorsport.com that the silly season changes faster than the price of crypto. The Dutchman adds that his chance for a seat is not in his own hands and that it depends on many things. His presence in the paddock as a reserve driver gives him a faster opportunity to talk to all sorts of people in the sport, but he admits he is not in charge of a team's line-up. Strikingly, it is De Vries who is his own manager and does the talking himself without an advocate, despite Mercedes supporting him.

Timing must be right

Being in this position allows De Vries to make all the decisions he needs to know. The free practice sessions he is doing this year could make things a little easier, but the driver from Sneek does not look at it like that. He says he doesn't need to sell himself through the various race categories he has already won. The Dutchman says he would not be out of place on this grid and is clear that he deserves a chance. What is important according to De Vries is that the timing is right and it is not about what has been done in the past.

Factors

The chances for the Frisian driver depend on many factors. At the moment it is still uncertain whether Colton Herta can get a super license, which in turn affects where Pierre Gasly will drive in 2023 and where Mick Schumacher will or will not end up. The availability of other drivers also affects De Vries. In the meantime, the Dutchman may also lose options in the WEC and Formula E. De Vries says he has built a good reputation in these racing classes that he has no doubts about his position there, should no F1 seat be available.