F1 Rumour: Nyck de Vries To Make Big Career Move After Abrupt AlphaTauri Exit

It has been reported that Nyck de Vries could be moving to America to take part in IndyCar.

According to Racer.com, Nyck de Vries is potentially setting his sights on Indycar for the upcoming season. 

De Vries had a noteworthy yet brief career in F1, running 11 races and landing a multi-year contract with AlphaTauri due to his stellar performance at Monza with Williams. 

However, his stint was cut short after only ten races of his rookie season when he was dismissed by Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko and was replaced by Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo with immediate effect. 

De Vries shared to social media after the announcement that he was going to take some time away and figure out what his next move will be. At present, de Vries is exploring career opportunities outside of F1, with endurance racing, Formula E, and Indycar among the considerations.

Indycar has become a popular choice for former F1 racers like Romain Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson, who sought new opportunities after F1. Joining the American racing league might mean de Vries temporarily stepping away from Europe, contrary to what most expected of his career trajectory. 

He is not alone in this potential shift, as other drivers like Oliver Askew, Brendon Harley, Jean-Eric Vergne, Sergio Sette Camara, and Stoffel Vandoorne are also linked to possible Indycar debuts. Should de Vries make the leap, he'd be joining fellow Dutchman Rinus van Kalmthout, known as 'Veekay', who currently races for Ed Carpenter Racing in Indycar.

Many F1 fans blasted Red Bull for their cut-throat nature after de Vries' abrupt exit. Although de Vries did not manage to put any points on the board during the first ten races, his AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda only had two points at the time and the AT04 is clearly not the fastest car on the grid. Fellow rookie Logan Sargeant has also failed to earn any points but Williams team chief James Vowles has expressed his satisfaction with the American driver leading many to believe Sargeant's contract will be extended for next year.

Mercedes has confirmed that they would happily welcome de Vries back into his previous role as their reserve driver, however, the Dutch driver is likely going to want to be competing rather than doing simulator work.