Nyck De Vries could step in as reserve driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri at the Mexican GP

AlphaTauri parted ways with rookie Nyck De Vries mid-season due to underwhelming results.

Nyck De Vries could step in as reserve driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri at the Mexican GP

Former AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries (Image credit: AutoRacing1.com)

Following a lackluster first half of the season, Nyck De Vries was replaced in his AlphaTauri race seat after the British Grand Prix, with Red Bull’s reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo stepping in. However, De Vries is poised to potentially take on the reserve driver role for Red Bull and AlphaTauri. This will happen during the upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix in Formula 1.

Daniel Ricciardo‘s transfer to AlphaTauri has opened the door for Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson to be the leading candidate for the reserve driver position for the remainder of the 2023 season. However, Lawson’s commitments extend to the Japan-based Super Formula championship, where he’s actively participating.

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With the final two races of Super Formula coinciding with the Mexico City Grand Prix, Lawson faces a scheduling conflict that prevents him from fulfilling both roles effectively. This situation potentially paves the way for De Vries to step in as the test driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri during the Mexico F1 weekend.

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Yet, De Vries’ involvement with Red Bull during this event is contingent on his not agreeing with another team before that. Despite his demotion, De Vries remains under contract with Red Bull for 2023.

Also read: F1 analyst claims Nyck De Vries’s AlphaTauri sacking has ‘left a stain’ on the 2023 F1 season

Nyck de Vries’s challenging F1 season, in contrast to teammate Yuki Tsunoda

Nyck de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda (Image credit: GPblog)

De Vries boasts a track record of impressive performances in Formula E and the World Endurance Championship. He has garnered attention from teams in both series, expressing interest in securing his services beyond 2023. If he were to ink a deal with a different team, this move could potentially lead to the termination of his existing contract with Red Bull, thereby preventing his involvement in the Mexico Grand Prix.

In his first ten races, his highest achievement was a 12th-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. Nyck de Vries experienced two DNF instances and consistently landed outside the top 10, resulting in a point-less record. In contrast, his teammate Yuki Tsunoda secured 2 points in those initial ten races.

De Vries entered the F1 racing scene at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, marking his debut race weekend. He stepped into Alex Albon’s seat at Williams for the first practice session. Notably, he also participated in practice sessions for both Mercedes and Aston Martin, at Paul Ricard and Monza, respectively. However, the highlight came during the Italian Grand Prix weekend when an unforeseen opportunity arose, propelling him into his first F1 points finish.

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