Nyck de Vries SLAMS Red Bull for ‘attacking’ him during failed AlphaTauri stint
Former AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries opened up about the immense pressure and scrutiny he faced during his F1 stint.
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Nyck de Vries and Helmut Marko (images via IMAGO)
Nyck de Vries made his F1 debut in 2023 with Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri (now VCARB). The Dutch driver seemed like a promising future prospect after having won Formula E with Mercedes. However, he was sacked mid-way through the season. Now, de Vries has recalled the high pressure he faced from Red Bull.
The Dutchman had a difficult start to his debut campaign in F1. Soon rumors emerged regarding him potentially being replaced. Nyck de Vries asserted that he was not only facing external pressure from the media, but also internal pressure from Red Bull.
You have the media and therefore the external pressure, but you also have the internal pressure.
Nyck de Vries said on the Cool Room Podcast
The 30-year-old insisted that he had double the pressure at AlphaTauri. De Vries claimed that he felt like the whole team was watching him 24/7, making him feel like he was being attacked. Moreover, the former Formula E champion emphasized that the media too played a similar role. Ultimately, he was sacked in favor of Daniel Ricciardo.
Wherever you go, it always feels like they’re watching you. I wouldn’t say it feels like they’re attacking you, but you do feel that 24/7 about writing and talking about you.
Nyck de Vries explained
Nyck de Vries had ‘no escape’ in F1
De Vries opened up regarding the stress he faced within the paddock. He pointed out that everyone in the paddock knew what was going on over his future at Red Bull’s sister team. As such, the Dutch driver had no way to escape the pressure. This inevitably would’ve impacted the 30-year-old’s morale.
You move around in the paddock, in that ecosystem, and everyone knows about it, and you can’t run away from it. Even if you wanted to, there is no way to escape.
Nyck de Vries stated
De Vries switched back to Formula E following his short lived AlphaTauri stint. The Dutch driver races for Indian automaker Mahindra in the all-electric series. The 30-year-old sits ninth in the standings currently with twelve points. It seems that Nyck de Vries has made peace with his unfulfilled F1 ambitions.
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Armaan Agarwal
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