Max Verstappen offers compatriot Nyck de Vries invaluable advice as his AlphaTauri seat is in jeopardy

The AlphaTauri driver has endured a torrid start to his F1 career in his rookie season

Max Verstappen and Nyck de Vries (Credits: The Guardian and The Mirror)

Formula One is a ruthless, cut-throat sport. There is no room for inconsistency and poor showings. Rookie Nyck de Vries faces mounting pressure following a lackluster start to the 2023 season, raising doubts about his long-term prospects in the sport. Speculation surrounding his potential exit became more than mere conjecture, as he was provided an alleged ultimatum to either step up or be axed.

Amid his seat in jeopardy, fellow compatriot and championship leader Max Verstappen has given him some advice. He is quoted by RacingNews365.com saying, “There’s not a lot to talk about. From his side, [he needs to] just focus on the driving. We are all under pressure to deliver and be at the best we can be. Of course when you’re at the beginning of your career in F1, you want to start off really well.”

“When that’s not the case, I think [that] by trying even harder, it’s not going to work. [So you need to] just focus on your job, try to learn, try to be better, but don’t overcomplicate things. I’ve said this to him. He knows that, he knows it himself. He just needs to get a good result. I think that will help a lot for him,” Max Verstappen continued.

FS Video

Verstappen remarked that de Vries is aware of what he needs to do, and he is hopeful that everything will fall into place for him in the near future. The Dutchman de Vries, since his calamitous showing at Miami, has improved, garnering praise from the likes of Helmut Marko.

Nyck de Vries has shown improvement over the last two races but needs to stay consistent

Nyck de Vries ( Credits: Car and Driver)

AlphaTauri themselves have struggled all year with below-average machinery. During the season’s opening phase, Nyck de Vries performed well below expectations, with the security of his seat already being shrouded in doubt. Red Bull’s senior advisor Helmut Marko dismissed any notion of Red Bull reserve Daniel Ricciardo being considered a replacement, stating that if a change occurred, they would consider one of their junior drivers instead.

However, an ultimatum was issued to de Vries, improve by the end of the Spanish GP or face potential dismissal. It remains ambiguous whether the ultimatum was extended due to the cancellation of the Imola race. Despite a slight performance improvement, with a P12 finish in Monaco and a P14 finish in Spain, de Vries has yet to surpass his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, and his position within the team remains uncertain.

Helmut Marko on Nyck de Vries’ weekend:

"This was by far Nyck de Vries' best weekend so far at AT. This is also what I want to see from him. We have just brought someone with experience to be able to put the fire to Yuki."

He also confirmed there was no ultimatum set.#F1
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 28, 2023

Red Bull is renowned for being infamously ruthless with their driver lineups, with a minimal tolerance for failure. Further poor results could result in the former F2 and Formula E champion losing his seat at AlphaTauri within his rookie season. Thus, he must continue improving as he did in Monaco and Spain to secure his place in F1.

Nyck de Vries has bought himself time. But he is yet to score any points this season. If he fails to string together a set of good, consistent performances in the upcoming races, a replacement could be on the cards.