F1 Rumour: Daniel Ricciardo Will Replace Nyck De Vries After Summer Break
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has hinted that Nyck de Vries will be replaced by eight-time grand prix winner Daniel Ricciardo after the summer break.
De Vries is currently grappling with a racing performance that isn't living up to initial expectations after his impressive F1 debut. His track record has been less than stellar, with a twelfth-place finish in Monaco as his highest achievement to date.
Pressure continues to mount for de Vries at AlphaTauri, especially with Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull's third driver and potential successor, completing tyre tests this week. Helmut Marko, Red Bull motorsport consultant, said cryptically:
"And then we'll see what happens next. We'll look at the tire tests and then we can talk."
There has been a huge amount of speculation over de Vries' future with the Italian team with Sky Sports F1 Germany reporter Ralf Schumacher recently claiming that " the decision has been made".
Ricciardo lost his seat with McLaren at the end of the 2022 season and was not able to secure another suitable full-time seat on the grid. It was then confirmed that the Australian driver had signed with Red Bull as their third driver, however, he has remained adamant that he is keen to rejoin the grid for a "competitive seat".
Other names that have been mentioned in relation to de Vries' seat are Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson and Mick Schumacher, who is currently in contract with Mercedes as their reserve driver after he lost his Haas seat last year.
It is worth noting that there have not been any official statements from either de Vries or AlphaTauri regarding his contract, which is currently due to expire at the end of this season.