De Vries: 'I was very surprised by the difference between FP1 and FP2'

It is easy to see after the F1 winter tests and the Bahrain GP Friday that AlphaTauri is behind schedule. In FP2, Nyck de Vries finished on P19 and his teammate on P18. The Dutchman is aware that there is a lot of work to do.

The Sneek-based driver told GPBlog.com and others after practice in Bahrain. De Vries: "It's the first time I've driven a FP2. Overall, I am best satisfied with our work and progression. At least on my side of the garage it went well. The conditions between FP1 and FP2 were very different. We definitely have a lot of work to do and are still slightly behind schedule."

De Vries stresses that big steps need to be made by the team, but they are not going to be realised in a weekend or in a week. De Vries: "The biggest changes had to do with big steps in the grip level. I was very surprised by how the track changed between FP1 and FP2. I had to adapt to the ever-improving track each time."