After his
Formula 1 racing debut for the
Italian Grand Prix, rumours surfaced that
Nyck de Vries would get a permanent seat in the sport in 2023. On Friday night, AlphaTauri announced that the Dutchman will become Yuki Tsunoda's new teammate next season. Team boss
Franz Tost says the result at Monza had a big influence on the team's choice.
In the
FIA press conference Tost is asked why he chose De Vries as
Pierre Gasly's replacement.
"Because he's fast. I know his history. I saw him in karting, he won, I think it was 2010 and ’11, the European and the World Championship in karting, and then he was really successful." De Vries has built up quite a CV. Tost also mentioned the Dutchman's success in Formula Renault, GP3,
Formula 2 and
Formula E.
Race debut De Vries had major impact on his contract
De Vries unexpectedly made his
Formula 1 racing debut in Italy when
Alexander Albon was stricken with appendicitis. The 27-year-old driver left a good impression as he finished ninth in the race for
Williams and took home two points.
"This had a great influence because it showed his potential. He drove a fantastic race, did not make any mistakes. And therefore, it was an easy decision to take him."De Vries has already gained a lot of experience in the new
F1 cars this season. Besides the race in Monza, the Dutchman has also been in action several times during practice sessions. Tost says it is unlikely that De Vries will also drive a first practice session for AlphaTauri, as he still has a contract with another team.
"I hope that we can see him in Abu Dhabi in the Young Driver Test."