'De Vries will have to beat Tsunoda'

Next year, Nyck de Vries will finally take his place as a regular driver in Formula 1, more than three years after becoming champion in Formula 2. The Dutchman has had a tough road to the highest class of motorsport, and speaking to De Telegraaf former Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers reflects on how De Vries eventually managed.

After winning the title in Formula 2, De Vries made the move to Formula E, where he started driving for Mercedes' team. Meanwhile, he also remained attached to Mercedes' Formula 1 branch, where he became an official reserve driver in 2021. This year, he fulfilled the same role at Williams, for which he eventually took to the track at Monza, and also drove a free practice session at Aston Martin. According to Albers, it is this involvement by De Vries that ensured he eventually secured a permanent seat at AlphaTauri.

"I always say: in this world you have to create your own luck. That's what Nyck has done. He kept fighting on and stayed involved in Formula 1 as a test driver. He never gave up. That also helped him so much at Monza, where he filled in for Alex Albon. He was able to put himself in the spotlight once more. Luck doesn't come around."

Difficult task awaits at AlphaTauri

Next season, De Vries will drive alongside Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri. The team is currently in shared eighth place with Haas, and Tsunoda is 17th among drivers. So wins are unlikely to be expected from De Vries, but Albers does expect De Vries to prove himself in other ways.

"I think he can run a very strong season. He will also have to, because he will have to beat his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. I do have confidence in that. Tsunoda started very well last year, but then he did slump."