Points on debut, not many can flaunt this outstanding feat. However, another Dutchman on the grid, Nyck de Vries, can. It’s probably a Dutch thing to impress the onlookers with your performance, considering the reigning double world champion is Nyck’s fellow countryman Max Verstappen. Even though the AlphaTauri recruit’s impressive showing in a Williams last year did open many doors for him, the rookie needs to up his game to keep those doors open, says Red Bull Taskmaster.
The performance showcased by de Vries has been underwhelming so far. And the blunt Helmut Marko hasn’t shied away from pointing that out. He has even laid down a roadmap on what it’ll take for the AlphaTauri rookie to find a seat at Red Bull. Marko told Formula1.de that beating his Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda is the minimum and most basic requirement and it in no way guarantees his seat at the bigger sister, Red Bull. While there are a lot more similarities between the two, Nyck needs to prove his mettle to take a shot at performing for the championship-winning team.
According to Helmut, the chances of graduating to Red Bull apply to both AlphaTauri drivers, “To be a candidate for Red Bull Racing, you have to have an extraordinary performance. They have to prove themselves if they want to stay in Formula 1. The better one will probably have a chance. That applies to Yuki and also to de Vries.”
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Sounding unimpressed with de Vries’s performance but wanting to keep an open mind, Marko added, “You have to give him a certain chance. The way he works is okay. His attitude is too. But now it’s his turn to deliver. De Vries comes, although he is a rookie, with a tremendous wealth of experience because he was involved at Mercedes and moved almost all Mercedes cars or customer cars as a third driver or reserve driver. His know-how and his standards were accordingly.”
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Not too long ago, de Vries used to be associated with Red Bull’s rival team Mercedes. And losing a talented man like him can appear like a blow.
Nyck de Vries, who moved to RB on Max Verstappen’s advice, may have caused discomfort to Mercedes
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‘Older brother’ Max Verstappen asked Nyck to call Marko after his brilliant showing in Monza. While it was almost final that the ex-Mercedes reserve driver will join Williams, a phone call and a stroke of luck put him in Red Bull’s sister outfit. While the Silver Arrows wish him well, they aren’t shy to admit that they may regret letting him go.
Shovlin said, “It wouldn’t surprise me if we soon put him in the Red Bull -See the factory team. He could even imagine that “in the next twelve months. It’s up to him whether he can become world champion. He has less time for that because of his age. But he makes up for it with his experience. We might still regret letting him go.”
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What are your predictions for Nyck de Vries? Can he beat Tsunoda and replace Sergio Perez?