F1 News: Nyck de Vries Opens Up On Racing Return After AlphaTauri Snub

Following his sudden F1 exit, Nyck de Vries is gearing up for a fresh racing chapter with Mahindra in the Formula E season, rekindling his association with Tony Ross.

Nyck de Vries, after a short-lived journey with the AlphaTauri F1 team, has revealed his emotions and anticipation regarding his return to racing. This return comes after his abrupt Formula 1 exit, where he faced immense professional challenges.

Key Takeaways:

• Nyck de Vries, following his sudden departure from AlphaTauri after just 10 races, is eager to "reset and look forward" in his professional racing journey.
• Although initially slated to be a rising star within AlphaTauri, with Red Bull's motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko even speculating he'd surpass Yuki Tsunoda, the Dutchman's F1 dreams were abruptly halted in favour of Daniel Ricciardo.
• Marking a fresh chapter in his racing career, de Vries is set to join Mahindra for the 2023/24 Formula E season, a return to the championship where he previously clinched the title.

Signed with AlphaTauri after a notable stint at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix with Williams, Nyck de Vries was initially enveloped in high expectations. However, just a mere 10 races in, his F1 aspirations came crashing down. This unexpected move by Red Bull to replace him with Daniel Ricciardo generated waves of criticism from fellow racers.

Despite this setback, de Vries exhibited professionalism. Apart from expressing his "hurt", he was gracious enough to thank both AlphaTauri and Red Bull for the unique opportunity they had provided him.

Transitioning from this challenging phase, de Vries, almost three months after his departure from F1, has been announced as the new driver for Mahindra in the 2023/24 Formula E season. Excitingly, this isn't uncharted territory for him, as he had earlier secured a championship title in the 2020/21 season.

Speaking about his comeback, de Vries mentioned to The Race:

“I felt like I had enough time to assess what happened and to reset and to move forward. I’m truly excited and I can literally feel fresh motivation to get back to racing."

Interestingly, this move to Mahindra was also influenced by Tony Ross, the engineering chief at Mercedes EQ, where both previously collaborated. Reflecting on this reunion, de Vries said:

“Tony showed up in our first call. I mean, unexpectedly,” said De Vries.

“That was a very happy surprise. Tony and I had the chance to work together at Mercedes and I think we respected each other a lot.

“I have a lot of belief and faith in Tony. He has a great kind of track record and history. In racing, he’s done everything and he not only brings a lot of knowledge and expertise, but also a certain mindset.”