F1 News: Yuki Tsunoda Jumps To Nyck de Vries' Defence Amid Replacement Rumours

Yuki Tsunoda has defended his AlphaTauri teammate as rumours continue to swirl of Nyck de Vries' replacement on the team.

Nyck de Vries has faced his fair share of difficulties during his time with AlphaTauri so far. However, Yuki Tsunoda, de Vries' team-mate, is convinced that he possesses the potential to rise above the challenges that have plagued his rookie season.

The recruitment of the Dutch driver came about through the intervention of Red Bull's motorsport advisor, Helmut Marko, who saw him as an ideal replacement for Pierre Gasly. This decision was primarily driven by de Vries' laudable performance, which culminated in him earning points at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix while standing in for Alex Albon at Williams.

Despite this, de Vries has had a rough start to his first year in Formula 1. His inability to score any points in the first nine races and being routinely outperformed by Tsunoda have been significant setbacks. Adding to these problems, a series of mishaps have hindered his progress, leading to speculation that he might be replaced during the summer break.

Contrasting de Vries' struggles, Tsunoda has emerged as one of the leading drivers of the 2023 season after overcoming the inconsistencies that marred his initial two years in the sport. However, he clarifies that his debut year in 2021 was not similar to de Vries' present challenges.

“To be honest, why I struggled in the first half of the season, the first year, was for me, not just my problem,” Tsunoda stated, attributing his difficulties to various external factors. He went on to share how changes made by the team, such as switching the chassis, ultimately led to a noticeable improvement in his performance. He emphasised that he learned and grew stronger as a driver even in challenging situations.

In spite of everything, Tsunoda believes in de Vries' potential. He says that de Vries just needs to put all the elements together, find a good rhythm and consistency. The Japanese driver explained, as quoted by Motorsportweek.com:

“But yeah, I think Nyck so far, I don’t know, he just has to put it altogether.

“The pace is there, so yeah, just probably need to find the rhythm, good rhythm, because so far, most of the races, probably he struggled a lot in terms of consistency.

“Yeah, I think in the end, he will get there I think, because in the past races, the past results, what he achieved, he’s showing that he can do it. I’m sure he’ll be OK.”

“I think Nyck’s showing a really good pace in the free practice and a couple of qualifying.

"Just a bit unlucky, because we’re not probably in the fastest car right now. It’s hard to make a good result, and to show the good performance.”