Does Nyck de Vries still have a future in Formula 1?

Nyck de Vries got the sack from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko last Tuesday. His services were no longer wanted at AlphaTauri. The Dutchman's Formula 1 career thus came to a harsh early end. Just a day later, he was spotted with Toto Wolff. So are there any chances of a return for De Vries after all?

De Vries has one major drawback: he does not bring any major sponsors with him, and Max Verstappen's success ensures that the Dutch market is already saturated. As a result, the former F2 world champion does not have the advantage that the likes of Robert Kubica and Nicholas Latifi did. This means he will have to prove his weight in gold on the track, which is precisely what he has failed to do over the past 10 races.

Williams?

Had the former Formula E world champion not chosen AlphaTauri, he might still have been able to get a spot with the Williams team, who eventually chose Logan Sargeant. The American rookie has so far failed to convince and remains behind his teammate Alexander Albon. Williams were already charmed by the Dutchman and are grateful to him for his outstanding performance at Monza last year, where De Vries scored points after just one free practice.

Perhaps De Vries will do well to stay in touch, even though his biggest fan, Jost Capito, is no longer at Williams. James Vowles is now the team boss, who may remember Nyck from his days as a Mercedes reserve driver. It is well known that the Dutchman was popular at the German racing team. But the Dutchman's disappointing F1 period will also make the team think and be patient with home-grown Logan Sargeant.

Alpine?

The French team was very briefly interested in the Dutchman. De Vries was allowed to drive a test session last year to potentially lay claim to a seat with the team, should Pierre Gasly unexpectedly opt for another future. He impressed but was no match for the appeal of Frenchman Gasly. The racing team now have two drivers from their own country, both of whom have won a Grand Prix before. So the chances for the Dutchman there seem nil.

Toto Wolff

So his last hopes seem to lie with Toto Wolff. The Austrian Mercedes team boss has previously taken Esteban Ocon and Mick Schumacher under his wing. He helped the Frenchman get a seat at Alpine, while Schumacher junior is still hoping for a spot at Williams. Wolff's chances of helping De Vries get a seat will be minimal. Although Wolff might not mind raising the eyebrows of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.

There may still be a role for the former AlphaTauri driver as a test and reserve driver, a role he previously fulfilled at Mercedes. This gave him the opportunity to make metres during training sessions at Mercedes, Aston Martin and Williams, where his foray eventually kickstarted his F1 career.

What speaks for him?

There are plenty of De Vries characteristics that speak in his favour. He is a friendly, articulate driver who knows his place. If he is instructed at Silverstone not to attack Yuki Tsunoda, you won't hear him complain. You will never hear him complain about his car or team, and he works hard. Besides, he has proved in other classes that he is very fast. He is a former Formula E and Formula 2 champion. He was also praised within AlphaTauri for his technical knowledge and feedback.

But it is common knowledge that he needs time. In both classes in which he became world champion, he needed a year to find his rhythm. Once he has that, he is fast and competitive. So teams can still see potential in him, provided they give him time. Helmut Marko has failed to do so.