Max Verstappen shows no sympathy for Nyck de Vries as AlphaTauri sacks the Dutchman to sign Daniel Ricciardo

Max Verstappen believed that AlphaTauri's decision to fire Nyck de Vries was business as usual in Formula 1.

Max Verstappen shows no sympathy for Nyck de Vries as AlphaTauri sacks the Dutchman to sign Daniel Ricciardo

Max Verstappen (image via PlanetF1), Nyck de Vries (image via speedweek.com)

Nyck de Vries was sacked by Red Bull in favor of a returning Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri. The Dutchman only managed to compete in ten races this season before being shown the door by the Faenza-based team. Now, fellow Dutch driver and two-time world champion Max Verstappen revealed his views regarding de Vries’s exit from F1.

Verstappen has been an integral part of the Red Bull family since making his F1 debut in 2015. The two-time world champion has witnessed such driver sackings done by the Austrian giant, including two of his former teammates at Milton Keynes, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon. As such, the 25-year-old lacked sympathy for what he considered the reality of F1.

The reigning world champion told Racefans.net in Hungary, “Sad to see him go. But unfortunately, that’s how this world works. I don’t think there’s any hard feelings, that’s just how it goes.” Verstappen highlighted the tough reality of racing at the pinnacle of motorsport. Drivers need to perform from the get-go to keep their place on the grid, as teams do not hesitate before pulling the plug, as was the case with Nyck de Vries.

Discover: Five times Red Bull replaced a driver in the middle of an F1 season

Max Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, in danger of losing the F1 seat?

Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo at the RB-19 launch (image via PlanetF1)
Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and Daniel Ricciardo at the RB-19 launch (image via PlanetF1)

Nyck de Vries being replaced by Daniel Ricciardo provides a platform for the Australian driver to prove his worth once again. Ricciardo and McLaren decided to part ways at the end of 2022 after the 34-year-old failed to perform for the Woking-based team. Now, The honey badger might have the perfect opportunity to showcase his pace if he wants to become Max Verstappen’s teammate.

Sergio Perez has struggled to match Verstappen this season, with a 99-point deficit to the two-time world champion in just ten races. The Mexican driver failed to reach the top 10 in Qualifying in the past six rounds. As such, Perez might risk losing his seat soon if he fails to improve his results while Ricciardo tries to get results for AlphaTauri.

Thus, Max Verstappen has no sympathy for his fellow countryman, Nyck de Vries. The two-time world champion believed this was simply how the sport works, with drivers being ousted for lack of results. The Dutch driver admitted that it was a tough reality for de Vries. Although, Verstappen remained unaffected by this call made by Red Bull.

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