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Debate | De Vries will be on the F1 grid in 2023
- GPblog.com
Nyck de Vries made his debut in a Formula One weekend on Friday. The Dutchman has been frequently associated with a move to the Williams team for a few weeks. There, Nicholas Latifi is not yet performing as he should and so there might be a chance. But how big do you think that chance is?
De Vries took over the spot from Alexander Albon and thus took on Latifi in a direct duel. The driver from the Netherlands succeeded with flying colours, because after an hour of driving he was faster than Latifi. The difference was not great, but still impressive because for De Vries it was the first time he got into this car.
It is clear that De Vries is a very talented driver. The Dutchman won a Formula 2 title and became world champion in Formula E, but a real chance in the premier class of motorsports was not forthcoming. Testing in the Williams is possibly a stepping stone to a permanent place. A team in Formula 1 is obliged to let a rookie drive at least two practice sessions in the season. De Vries has not yet made his F1 debut and can therefore be deployed. Yet he is also already 27 years old...
Exit for Latifi?
Latifi is taking a big bag of money with him, but with the Dorilton Capital acquisition, Williams can afford to sideline Latifi. However, De Vries will also have to bring a lot of budget with him and whether that is feasible is a close two. Latifi himself laughed off the rumours of a quick dismissal.
In any case, Williams seems to be De Vries' biggest chance when it comes to promotion to Formula One. He also lives on good terms with Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur, but there Valtteri Bottas is fixed for several years, Guanyu Zhou has only been active since this year and they also have their own talent Theo Pourchaire behind them.
What do you think of the statement: De Vries will be on the F1 grid in 2023? Let us know in the poll and join the discussion in the comments!