Nyck de Vries will make his full-time Formula 1 debut in 2023. However, according to Mercedes star George Russell, he is surprised that the Dutch driver couldn’t crack it to F1 before. According to him, he was the man who was feared by his contemporaries, even World Champion Max Verstappen.

When De Vries was announced to partner with Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri for 2023, F1 fans were ecstatic. However, George Russell feels that De Vries’ entry into the sport is one that has been long overdue. While talking about next year’s rookie, he was showering high praise.

He said, “I’ve always rated him, in go-karting, he was the man to beat. Out of all of us, he was probably the most successful.”

He then went on to explain why he is so happy to see the Dutch driver become a part of the 2023 F1 grid. “Out of the karting boys as such, Nyck was the only one who hadn’t made it to F1, and probably deserved to have made it.”

“Those five drivers – myself, Alex [Albon], Max [Verstappen], Charles [Leclerc] and Nyck – who were in that era of racing against each other at 11, 12, Nyck was the only one who didn’t make it, so I’m happy for him,” he said, as quoted by GPFans

Read More: Lewis Hamilton’s Child-Like Playfulness Evokes Magical Feeling of Nostalgia Among F1 Fans: “You Grow Old Because…”

George Russell has always been a well-wisher of the Dutch driver. After De Vries stood in for Alexander Albon at the Italian Grand Prix, the Brit had high words of praise for Nyck de Vries.

George Russell claims Nyck de Vries had it “tougher” than him after Italian Grand Prix heroics

Nyck de Vries practically earned himself a spot in F1 with his Italian Grand Prix heroics. He was standing in for Alexander Albon at Williams and he scored points in F1 in his very first Formula 1 race. However, Russell has now talked about why this feat was more impressive, given how difficult it would have been for De Vries.

He said, “I think probably tougher for him, to be honest, than it was for me.” He explained, “I was obviously a full-time race driver then and equally as well for him, jumping from Aston Martin on Friday into a Williams…it’s a different car, the seating position is different.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton Kicks Off Mammoth $140 Million Hollywood Passion Project

Will Nyck de Vries thrive in Formula 1? Do you see him becoming a part of the main Red Bull team in the future?