Nyck de Vries reveals how F1 preparation is ‘completely different’ from past experiences

Nyck de Vries is a Formula E champion, but preparing for a full-time seat in Formula 1 is a completely different beast, as he's found out now.

Nyck de Vries reveals how F1 preparation is ‘completely different’ from past experiences

Nyck de Vries

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. Drivers dedicated their lives to making the cut. Nyck de Vries did the same. But even though he won Formula 2 in 2019, no team was very interested in him. So he spent his time in Formula E, biding his time while serving Mercedes in a reserve/third driver capacity. When Alex Albon was diagnosed with appendicitis during the 2020 Italian GP weekend, de Vries stepped up as his replacement.

He had been present in Monza because he drove for Aston Martin in FP1 the same weekend. Both of these opportunities came for him through his association with Mercedes. He definitely gave a good account of himself, and outqualified and outscored his ‘regular driver’ teammate, Nicholas Latifi. But in the end, he looked completely out of it and struggled to get out of the car. This is just an example of how intense F1 can be.

YouTube video

Even de Vries, who is a Formula E world champion, looked almost completely spent at the end of the ordeal. Now, in preparation for the upcoming 2023 season, where he’ll be a full-time driver with AlphaTauri, the Dutchman is focused on physical preparation for F1 – which he says is completely different from his previous experiences. As per RacingNews365.com, he said: “It’s completely different, I think that the focus and emphasis was very much on physical preparation.”

FS Video

Read More: “Joining gym classes for fun,” Nyck de Vries talks about his intense training sessions as if they were a cakewalk

Nyck de Vries reveals he had to step it up with his preparation for 2023

Nyck de Vries
Nyck de Vries

Of course, as Nyck de Vries is new to the team, he will always have to dedicate his time to learning about his new environment and getting to know the people. Then he’ll also have to pay attention to the situation as it pertains to racing and performance in the championship. But he knows that he’ll have to physically prepare himself for the stresses of the upcoming season. Especially considering it will have 23 races.

The Dutchman said: “Firstly integrating in a new environment, new team, meeting new people, understanding where the team is standing and where we can improve. But from a personal perspective I needed to put in much more time and effort into physical preparation. In the championships I raced in during the past three years, the physical activity [I did] was enough to cope with it.”

This decision to step up his physical preparation is sure to help de Vries cope with the stresses of being a Formula 1 driver. Particularly when you’re in the car. But he will have to be at his best in terms of performance – AlphaTauri definitely have a long list of replacements, including Liam Lawson.

In case you missed it: