De Vries is always fighting for survival as a driver: 'There is no certainty'

There he was, on the top step of the podium. Finally, it happened again after two years of drought. Nyck de Vries, with his team Totoya, were the best in the 6 Hours of Imola so the victor's trophy could be held in the air. The huge smile on his face spoke volumes. The Dutchman never gave up after a failed adventure in Formula 1. The Dutchman could reap the rewards of his hard work on the Italian circuit. Evidence of getting stronger after severe setbacks.

A few weeks after his first-ever victory in a hypercar in the World Endurance Championship, De Vries was smiling as he reflected on that beautiful afternoon in Imola. "It was great. It was incredible, actually," he said during an exclusive interview with GPblog. "I think the feeling of satisfaction was even higher because we didn't really expect it. We didn't feel like we were in a position to fight for the victory. We were fighting for a potential podium, but winning was not necessarily on the cards. To come away with a victory felt really good. But it was really, really well deserved. The team did an incredible job."

De Vries takes revenge

It is typical Nyck de Vries: he immediately talks about 'the team'. Anyone who has followed his career in recent years would understand if he saw this win as the ultimate revenge. On Red Bull - who suddenly sidelined him midway through the F1 season in 2023. Or on all those critics who doubted his qualities. Or perhaps, revenge on himself. Asked specifically what the victory meant to hims, the Dutchman confessed: "It was just relieving. It's just nice to be back in the game. Yes, I definitely felt that."

After his forced farewell to Formula 1, De Vries - deliberately - opted for anonymity for a while. No interviews, away from the international circuits for a while. It visibly did him good. "Every human goes through many different experiences all the time. And I think everything we experience, we learn, we make mistakes, we do better. We grow as an individual. And I think everything that I've done in my racing career so far has made me who I am today. That process will continue to develop until one day I stop racing, which is a long time ahead."

De Vries sees pressure in motorsport every day

Predictably, De Vries has learned a lot in one area in recent years: dealing with pressure. In Formula 1, there is constant pressure every day, during every session. "I don't know," says De Vries when asked how he copes with the pressure. "I wouldn't necessarily say this is the case. I think there is pressure in every environment at different levels and from different angles. But ultimately in racing and sports, we are all expected to deliver, and results are very black and white because often they are judged by what we see on the classification at the end of the weekend.

"So I think there is always pressure, and you always need to deliver. And as a racing driver, I think you're somewhat always fighting for your survival. There is never any certainty. You're as good as your last race. But Imola is now gone. Now we're in Spa, and we need to do it again."

Shining in WEC and Formula E

In WEC, De Vries has been successful with Toyota; with his Formula E team Mahindra, the Dutchman is in an improvement phase. These are two of the most highly regarded disciplines in motorsport, but they are not Formula 1, where tens of millions of people sit in front of the TV watching each Grand Prix. De Vries strongly disputes that the classes he now competes in are 'less' than F1. "It's different racing. I agree. And Formula One is the pinnacle of our sport, and it certainly has the most media coverage and attention. I agree with that. For sure all the drivers there are amazing. But both in WEC and Formula E, the competition is great, too."

"Naturally by being with Toyota, with their track record in WEC and their history, we are expected to fight for top positions. And that's what we're here for. But in Formula E [at Mahindra], maybe people could expect that [to compete at the top] but I don't think it's realistic and fair, given the package and the situation we're in," De Vries said.

So, with Toyota's hypercar, the first win of the season in two years has been achieved, and De Vries will also be competing at the front in Spa this weekend. Again there is a smile: "Yes, I feel great here. I've been fortunate to start my personal integration process already since 2020. Because since 2020, I've been part of the team as a test reserve driver. And the team was very supportive when I went to Formula 1 for a short stint. But we always remained in contact. We always remained on very good terms. And when things weren't going well, it was very obvious to reunite and come back together and race here."