By replacing Alex Albon at the last minute on board the Williams F1 at Monza, and by achieving a great performance which allowed him to score points in his very first Grand Prix in Formula 1, Nyck de Vries perfectly knew how to take advantage of a rare opportunity and he will therefore be a starter in the discipline in 2023.
The Dutchman was hoping then that the Grove team would offer him the remaining seat alongside Albon next year, but following discussions with his compatriot Max Verstappen, and also a very important meeting with doctor Helmut Marko, it It is finally within the bosom of Red Bull and with the AlphaTauri team that he will make his debut as a starter.
“The phone kept ringing. I really wanted to take advantage of the buzz around me in order to have the opportunity to be in Formula 1 in 2023,” recounts de Vries for the Beyond the Grid podcast when discussing the followingmath of Monza.
“We had of course been in close discussions with Williams for longer, and I was talking to Jost (Capto, the CEO) on the Tuesday following the race. The Alpine test had already been planned for a long time before Monza, I had visited at their factory in August just before the Spa race.”
“But then I had dinner with Max on Monday night in Monaco to kind of celebrate the weekend. We had an open discussion regarding the possibilities and the opportunities that were there. We talked regarding the potential of AlphaTauri, Doctor Marko, and that’s how it went. Later in the same week, I might be seen near Graz.”
A “mutual” respect with Helmut Marko
All that remained was to convince the very demanding Austrian consultant to trust him for next season, but de Vries assures us that everything went smoothly.
“We had a great time together. We ate local food for two days while talking regarding the future. He has a good sense of humor and we respect each other.”
“I think he appreciated the fact that I was there, representing myself, and having those discussions directly with him. At Red Bull it’s all regarding performance and winning, I share those values and so everything was simple and pleasant.”
“Of course the deal wasn’t entirely up to us, it was a bit more complicated than that as everyone knows. But this trip made me realize that I had a big chance of being on the starting grid in 2023.”
