De Vries on Verstappen friendship: 'We both travelled around with our dads'

Nyck de Vries will have at least one ally on the Formula 1 grid when he starts his first full season in the sport in 2023, as he and Max Verstappen have been good friends on the karting circuit since their childhood.

De Vries is preparing for a full-time seat at AlphaTauri after an impressive performance for Williams, where he replaced the ailing Alex Albon at the Italian Grand Prix. An impressive GP debut followed, which proved to be the golden opportunity for De Vries: indeed, it put him on Helmut Marko's radar, helped by a push from Verstappen.

De Vries talks about friendship with Verstappen

During the Beyond the Grid podcast, De Vries elaborates on his bond with Verstappen. The two have known each other since childhood and grew up in the same racing era. "We – I think – approached karting and racing in our earlier years very similarly," says the future AlphaTauri driver.

"We both travelled around in a van with our dads," De Vries continued. "We just really respected each other and saw each other every weekend, pretty much." Because Verstappen is two years younger, however, the two never raced against each other. So that happened for the first time at Monza, and next year the compatriots will meet again at the circuit.

Verstappen as a 'big brother' on F1 grid

Before the race, De Vries and Verstappen had app contact with each other a few times. The Red Bull Racing driver also visited his friend on the grid, where they started next to each other. "As an older brother does, encouraged me a little bit, which was very kind – he’s been very supportive," said the Mercedes reserve driver.

So, where for a long time there was no Dutch driver on the F1 grid, next year there will be two. What kind of reception does De Vries expect in Zandvoort? "Obviously, Max deserves all the support in the world, especially from our country. He is and he has been amazing. But hopefully, there will be some orange fans rooting and cheering for me too!"