'Injured' de Vries Speaks Out Following AlphaTauri Departure

 

Nyck de Vries expressed his disappointment on Wednesday after losing his AlphaTauri Formula One seat to Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo, despite only participating in 10 races and missing the opportunity to race at his home Dutch Grand Prix.

In his first public statement about the dismissal, the 28-year-old driver posted on Instagram, stating, "Of course, it hurts that the F1 opportunity I've long dreamed of came to an end prematurely. However, life is a journey, not just a destination, and sometimes you have to face challenges to reach your goals. I am grateful for the privileged life I lead, proud of my journey and my family. This is just another experience, and we will move on, looking forward to the next chapter."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner elaborated on the decision to bring back former Red Bull driver Ricciardo ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. He mentioned that there were high expectations for de Vries due to his extensive racing experience, including being the 2021 Formula E champion and the 2019 F2 champion. However, there was a general feeling that de Vries wasn't performing at the level they expected.

Horner revealed that Ricciardo's performance during the post-British Grand Prix tire test provided convincing evidence for his selection. Red Bull motorsport head Helmut Marko contacted de Vries to deliver the unfortunate news of his replacement.

The decision to let go of de Vries happened unexpectedly fast, as they had not completed the test at the time. Horner admitted that he had not been in favor of signing de Vries initially, considering him not a young driver and not fitting well within their junior program. He saw de Vries as more of a temporary solution.