De Vries needs to step up: 'Must be fitter and stronger than Verstappen'

Nyck de Vries had to be lifted out of his car after his debut in Formula 1. Physically, his first race had been tough, but speaking to De Telegraaf the Dutchman explains why.

De Vries will compete for AlphaTauri in Formula 1 in 2023 after his debut with Williams in Italy went impressively well. However, there are still some things to be done before De Vries is fully ready for a full F1 season. Indeed, after the end of his first race, it appeared that he was not yet physically fit enough for a full Grand Prix.

As strong as Verstappen

"The speeds and forces in Formula 1 are so high, incomparable to other classes. It's not like I have been driving Formula 2 in recent years, eh. Then it's like coming from a step-up class straight into Formula 1. Look, if you are a runner, you are the engine yourself. With us, the car is. It's all about the absolute values then," said the newcomer Red Bull driver.

"I am 1.68 metres tall and weigh 58 kilograms. I can be very strong in proportion, but actually, I should be able to tap the same levels as someone who weighs almost 80 kilograms. So proportionally, I need to be fitter and stronger than someone like Max, I need to get the same lung capacity as guys like that."

De Vries has a whole winter to do that and get himself ready for his first full season in F1. Alongside Yuki Tsunoda, he will finally get his chance in the king class of motorsport after a Formula 2 and Formula E title. De Vries will leave nothing to chance.