Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA
Nyck de Vries, Williams FW44
Prime
Interview

How F1's new determined Dutchman got his long-awaited break

Nyck de Vries had almost given up on his dream of racing in Formula 1 when he got the call-up to stand in for Alex Albon at this year’s Italian Grand Prix, as he explains to OLEG KARPOV. But how pivotal was that in getting him a full-time ride with AlphaTauri next season?

On Christmas Day 2020, a special gift from his son awaited Hendrik de Vries, a Renault dealership owner and an amateur racing driver from the Netherlands. Nyck, who shares his father’s passion for racing, had realised one of his lifelong dreams just a couple of weeks before the holidays, by taking part in official Formula 1 testing for young drivers – and in title-winning machinery, too. De Vries made sure his dad would have something to remember a day that was so special for both of them.

“After my first season in Formula E I got given the rookie test with Mercedes for the first time, and I was super-excited and happy… because I thought I was never going to drive a Formula 1 car,” recalls the man who will be one of the 20 full-time drivers on the grid of the world’s main racing championship next year.

Previous article What McLaren learned from Ricciardo’s 2022 F1 struggles
Next article Zhou: Point on debut in Bahrain felt ‘huge’ after criticism and abuse

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA