F1 News

De Vries ecstatic with progress at Young Drivers Test

15 December 2020 at 16:51
Last update 15 December 2020 at 19:03
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  • GPblog.com

Nyck de Vries made his Formula 1 debut today during the Young Driver Test and did so in the champion car of Mercedes. The Dutchman eventually drove 110 laps and was second on the timesheet after Fernando Alonso.

Special day

In a video on Mercedes' Twitter account, De Vries spoke about his F1 debut. "What a special day and what an incredible car. I'm really pleased with the progression I made throughout the day and the work we have done."

The Dutchman soon felt comfortable with Mercedes. "The team was very supportive and did everything they could to try and make me feel comfortable. I was actually surprised at how quickly I felt comfortable in the car."

Different planet

De Vries is also lyrical about the Mercedes. "The car is something you cannot imagine, it's from a different planet really. You can brake so extremely late and carry so much speed through the corners. It was a real pleasure."

Mercedes top man Andrew Shovlin is also very pleased with De Vries' F1 debut. "He's impressed us with how quickly he was up to speed and his pace on low and high fuel. Both Stoffel and Nyck contribute to our F1 program with simulator work so today has been a really useful opportunity to let them try the real thing, and a nice way for us to close off the 2020 season."