F1's unlikely 2023 rookie
History says Nyck de Vries shouldn’t have made it to F1. Yet, here he is.
Nyck de Vries lines up for AlphaTauri at the Bahrain Grand Prix this week - a feat which is nothing short of phenomenal.
But it’s also a bit strange. de Vries is 28 years old. That’s old for a rookie. Like, really old.
This year’s other rookies, Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant, are only 21 and 22. Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen is only 25.
de Vries is a late bloomer with a strange career path. Just a year ago, a full-time drive in F1 wasn’t even on the table.
Typically, rookie drivers get their big break much earlier in their careers - and usually on the back of a successful year in a support series like Formula 2.
This is what Lando Norris, George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon all did.
de Vries looked to be on the same path in 2019 when he won the Formula 2 championship - beating drivers like Nicholas Latifi, Zhou Guanyu and Mick Schumacher.
But an F1 seat never came to fruition.
de Vries said he held talks with F1 teams, but, unfortunately for him, eight out of 10 opted to keep the same driver pairing for 2020, greatly limiting his options.
With F1 off the table, de Vries' switched to Formula E, a fully electric open-wheel series established back in 2014. It’s actually become a bit of a home for F1’s outcasts.
de Vries quickly impressed, winning the championship in just his second year.
Yet a full-time F1 seat remained a dream.
He was a reserve driver for Mercedes in 2021, but even with that role, de Vries had “lost the thought” of ever racing in F1.
His fortunes only changed late in 2022 during the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
Williams driver Alex Albon came down with appendicitis and just a day before the race, the team needed a replacement.
de Vries was suddenly called upon to make his F1 debut and boy did he deliver.
After a single practice session, he qualified ahead of regular Williams driver Nicholas Latifi and then maintained his position in the race, finishing an astonishing 9th.
It was just the fourth time in 2022 that Williams scored points.
That sensational performance instantly put de Vries on the wishlists of F1 teams.
According to F1.com, Williams, Alpine and AlphaTauri were all interested - with the latter eventually securing his services for 2023.
AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost has hailed de Vries as “very highly-skilled and focused” while Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko expects de Vries to lead AlphaTauri in 2023, given his past experience.
Remember, de Vries is a Formula 2 and Formula E champion with some time spent in endurance racing too.
But, perhaps his most valuable experience ahead of his full-time F1 debut is from Formula 2 in 2018.
That year, de Vries went up against - and held his own - against current F1 stars.
He finished 4th in that year’s championship, only behind George Russell, Lando Norris and Alex Albon.
It’s pretty damn impressive to be fighting alongside drivers like that. They are all currently in F1 and have all finished on the podium too.
After years on a different path, can de Vries finally fight with them again?
It’s a relief to write this: F1 is finally back! Pre-season testing is done and the first race of 2023, the Bahrain Grand Prix, will get underway THIS SUNDAY! Woohoo!